The Department of Agriculture’s priority on moves for a major tightening of EU animal transport rules will be to ensure that Ireland has the same access to the common market as those on the continent and to ensure the live exports to Europe are not put at a disadvantage.

Last December, the European Commission unveiled proposals to limit calf road journey times to eight hours for livestock, with this rising to nine hours if on-board milk is provided.

To travel more than 100km, calves would have to be older than five weeks of age and above 50kg under the proposals.

Senior superintending veterinary inspector Lorna Meaney told the Oireachtas committee on agriculture that it is unlikely official discussions will kick off between member states on concreting the position they will take on plans before autumn.

“We want Irish farms and farm families to have equivalent access to the single market as other farm families have in other countries,” Meany stated.

“We are reaching out to other member states to discuss this with them and some member states would have issues in common and other member states would have issues that concern them, temperature for instance in certain hot countries.”

It is still unknown how far member states will be prepared to tighten animal transport rules and any changes they agree can considerably alter the proposals, the Department official said.

Five-week 100km limit

One aspect raised by the committee of particular concern is the proposed five-week and 50kg threshold proposed over which calves must be before travelling above 100km.

Senator Paul Daly suggested that this aspect of the animal transport plans could put the calf-beef sector in jeopardy, for instance as dairy farmers in Tipperary may not be able to sell to buyers over 100km in the midlands.

The senior veterinary inspector said that while the Commission is “very anxious” to address this issue of calf transport, the Department is keen to explore options to address the concerns “in a way which doesn’t affect our industry”.

Cost impact

In response to a question from committee chair Jackie Cahill TD, Meaney stated that an economic impact assessment had been carried out by the Commission at EU level on the animal transport proposals.

This found that the overall costs associated with the implementing of the draft proposals would be low, as only a small percentage of cattle would be affected across all EU member states.

However, the proportion of cattle affected in Ireland would be higher than this average, which “at every possibility we are raising with other member states” ahead of further discussions, she said.

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