We all know well that beef is a vital part of the export sector of this country. Of the 1.7 million cattle presented for slaughter to factories, we only consume 10% and 90% is for export. The problem is that beef farmers are getting very poor prices at factories for their cattle, and the price is actually below the cost of production. This puts the beef industry and suckler farmers in a state of crisis, which has been ongoing for a number of months. Any reprieve that we normally see in the run-up to Christmas has not materialised so prices remain very depressed and on the floor.

A clearly identified solution is an increase in live exports. I commend the Minister and Bord Bia on the work they do in this regard. Between 2017 and 2018, live exports increased by 30% to 246,000 animals.

Quite frankly, we need more. With the abolition of the milk quota system we have seen many more people getting into dairy and, consequently, we have many more dairy calves. There are approximately 40,000 additional calves to be dealt with. We need new markets and we need live exports. At the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine yesterday it was set out very starkly that there is a major obstacle in this regard. It is not about ships or export markets. There are customers for these animals but there is a major problem in respect of lairage, places to hold animals, in Cherbourg, to which these animals are shipped. According to regulations animals, and young animals and calves in particular, have to be rested after a significant journey. The capacity is not there. At the same time, we are trying to move animals out and give farmers a fairer price. It has to be noted that there have been significant increases in the Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Belgian and French markets. All of these are European markets which are highly regulated. We cannot meet the demand despite having the cattle. If farmers cannot ship their cattle they have to continue to feed them and welfare issues arise.

I call for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Minister, the farming organisations, and the exporters to get together and make some arrangements for the provision of additional lairage in or around Cherbourg so that the animals we are shipping can be cared for properly and capacity increased. There is no point in us having ambition to grow exports, which is our ambition, if there is not capacity within the system. I ask that this matter be brought to the Minister's attention, as a matter of urgency. I appeal to the different stakeholders to find a solution. It is beyond critical. I will meet the IFA shortly to discuss the whole crisis in the beef sector and I will take this issue up with the association directly.

I thank the 13 Members of the House for their contributions to the Order of Business. Senator Clifford-Lee raised the very important and sensitive issue of the CervicalCheck backlog. We are all concerned at this backlog. The most pertinent point the Senator made was that we welcome the fact that so many women have come forward for rechecks. I noted the remarks of the acting director general of the HSE at the Joint Committee on Health this morning. She said that the HSE is working to grow and develop laboratory capacity. It is important that anything the Government does is motivated by those women who are, in some cases, very seriously ill. It is also important to acknowledge in our commentary that the Minister for Health sought a capacity plan to address the backlog from the HSE last year. That has not yet been received. The HSE and the Minister are engaged in decreasing the turnover time. It is a worry and a concern. We all know people who are waiting. I hope that this matter will be dealt with expeditiously by the HSE. It is also important to note that the HSE has limited ability. That is why we have to outsource and go to outside agencies and laboratories. The HSE has also agreed to undertake additional recruitment, over time, to decrease the turnover time.

The Senator also indirectly referenced the remarks of Mr. Justice Kevin Cross regarding the number of judges. This Government has approved more than 40 judges since 2016. Senator Clifford-Lee, her colleagues and other colleagues in the House - to be fair to her, it is not so much Senator Clifford-Lee - by their obstructionist behaviour around the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017-----