Cattle born in Ireland and slaughtered in Northern Ireland or Britain will continue to be a problem for British retailers, according to Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney.

“While Bord Bia has repeatedly raised this issue with British retailers over the years, they are unlikely to reverse their marketing policy in the short term,” Minister Coveney said.

The Minister was answering a parliamentary question put forward by TD Denis Naughten.

The Department has been coming under pressure to increase live exports to Northern Ireland and Britain but so far has said it is not a policy decision for the Department but rather lies with the British retailers.

Patrick Donohoe