I wish to raise an issue that was recently highlighted to me regarding animal welfare. I was very concerned to learn about plans to exports thousands of pigs from Ireland to China. EURACTIV has reported the backlash to the Government's announcement. Tilly Metz MEP, who chaired the committee of inquiry on the protection of animals during transport, states exporting pigs from Ireland to China is "definitely not the way forward: neither for animal welfare nor for the climate". She also refers to the effect on sustainability of shortening supply chains. The head of Compassion in World Farming EU has come out against it. The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, ISPCA, has also come out against it and it raises issues about animal welfare legislation in China. I add my call to those of others for the Government to scrap its plans for live exports.

I will raise the concerns of the Deputy with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and will revert back to her with respect to the Department's assessment of the situation.

Live exports are outrageous.