I rise to discuss the current problem that is in our beef sector. We have seen the price of beef fall again this week and last week. It is a sector that is in grave danger. We have farmers losing, on average, between €300 and in excess of €500 on animals that they have purchased and fed over the past six to eight months. The beef sector is really in crisis.

Since Bord Bia has been stood down, we have seen beef prices fall at a rapid rate. I would like Bord Bia to come out and give a statement about where our markets have gone. Is Bord Bia still in operation? Who is looking after our markets at this moment in time? Since the review of Bord Bia, the Larry Murrin incident and whatever has happened, we have seen beef prices fall month on month. I hope Bord Bia will come out and give a statement about where our markets have gone because we have farmers who will actually go to the wall. They will not exist after this year. They made profits last year, invested in their farms and now, they are seeing huge losses this year. It is a sector that is really in trouble. I hope somebody out there can give me an answer about why the factories keep pulling beef at a time when the market for beef, with the World Cup in America taking place, will see the consumption of beef on the rise. There is something wrong. Some questions need to be answered here regarding why month on month, week on week, we see beef prices falling between 5 cent and 10 cent. It is a sector that is really in trouble and I do not think people here realise that farmers will actually go to the wall because of this one.