§ 29. Mr. Farrasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he can give figures of the weekly number 354W of sheep being exported from the Republic of Ireland to the Continent; and to what extent these figures have increased since Her Majesty's Government banned the export of live cattle from the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartThe Department of Agriculture of the Irish Republic estimates that weekly exports of sheep to EEC countries other than the United Kingdom have been as follows:
Week ending— 3rd February … … — 10th February … … — 17th February … … 80 24th February … … 1,065 3rd March … … 1,336 10th March … … 1,340 17th March … … 1,737 24th March … … 1,090 31st March … … 828 7th April … … — 13th April … … 978 21st April … … — 8,454 The corresponding total figure for the same period last year was 815. It is not possible to judge the extent to which the increase is due to the action of Her Majesty's Government in suspending licences to export sheep as from 1st February, as the trade is a seasonal and fluctuating one.