Ireland would be the biggest loser if there was a renationalisation of beef markets across the EU, Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed has said.

The Minister was responding to concerns, raised by several TDs in the Dáil yesterday, that factories were importing beef into Ireland at a time when prices for farmers were on the ground.

He said that in an ideal world, no beef would be brought into the country and Irish beef would be eaten in Ireland and sent everywhere else to be eaten also. However he said the beef sector was heavily dependent on exports, with 90% of the 600,000t of beef produced consumed abroad.

Imports

Sinn Féin’s Matt Carthy asked if the minister would condemn factories importing beef and if he would contact factory owners to ask them to cease the practice.

Minister Creed acknowledged there was some popular traction for Carthy’s proposal, but said the logical conclusion of it was “a renationalisation across Europe of all markets”.

If there were only an Irish market for Irish beef, we could have beef for breakfast, dinner and supper and we would still not eat all the beef we have

Independent TD Denis Naughten also raised the issue, asking the minister to explain why beef processors were importing beef.

While Minister Creed said he would love “an Irish market for Irish beef”, Ireland had to be vigilant against renationalisation.

Populist

“I am certainly not going to jump on a populist bandwagon, because our primary interest is in making sure the European market works for us and we have access to those markets.

“If there were only an Irish market for Irish beef, we could have beef for breakfast, dinner and supper and we would still not eat all the beef we have,” the minister said.

We need to make sure that we maintain access to markets in the UK, France and every other market within the European Union

“We need to make sure that we maintain access to markets in the UK, France and every other market within the European Union. That is the most important thing for the beef farmers we represent,” he said.

UK

Minister Creed pointed to concerns raised in the UK by the National Farmers Union about Irish beef on UK supermarket shelves, saying Ireland had to guard against renationalisation.

Naughten stressed the minister was not answering his question. The UK was a not a net exporter, he said, whereas Ireland was.

“We export nine out of 10 animals, yet we are importing beef. What is the justification for that? I do not believe there is one,” Naugthen said.