Live Exports
Dail Éireann — 2026-03-19
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Martin Heydon (FG), Kildare South

While I accept that and accept it is difficult for exporters at the moment, and they are meeting a lot of competition from farmers in the marts for these cattle, too, because of a shortage of cattle and a big demand from farmers for them, which makes it a challenging space, I think we would be having a much different conversation here if I had failed to reopen trade with Northern Ireland and if we had failed to gain access to the likes of Algeria and Tunisia. I understand that the conditions for exporters are challenging and that there is that increased cost where certain countries have set down criteria, but no more than with food or drink requirements and certificates - we export our dairy produce, our beef produce, Irish whiskey and beyond to 180 countries around the world - the receiving countries set those requirements, as they are entitled to do. We have to work with them and negotiate around those.
I presume most of the points the Deputy raises relate to bluetongue. We have had a number of renegotiated health certificates and we have been doing that for the past two years now, mindful that there was a likelihood bluetongue would come here at some stage.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-03-19/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:45+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-03-19