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Progress on ferry schedules means that up to 80,000 calves can be exported from the end of March, senior Department of Agriculture vets told the Oireachtas committee on agriculture this Tuesday.
Irish Ferries' new ship, the WB Yeats, was expected to alternate sailings with existing ships from the end of May, allowing for maximum use of the 4,000/day lairage to disembark calves at Cherbourg, France.
However, the new ship will now sail on a 48-hour schedule from the end of March instead, the Department of Agriculture's Rob Doyle said.
"Every second week, they will be sailing seven days a week. That will increase capacity from 12,000 to 28,000 a week if all the lairage capacity is used," Doyle said.
New ferry inspected
The Department has now inspected the ship.
"There are issues to be resolved," Doyle said, but he was confident that approval for cattle would follow the green light already given for horses.
He added that Ireland would now have capacity to export as many calves in two months starting in March as the country did last year.
Paula Barry-Walsh, also a senior Department vet, confirmed that the 80,000hd export capacity would be in place for the peak season in calf exports.
There is potentially space to increase capacity in one of the lairages
In addition, Doyle said that Department officials had visited Cherbourg, where lairage capacity was recently boosted from 1,500 to 4,000hd/day with EU funding.
"Our assessment is there is potentially space to increase capacity in one of the lairages should the operator wish to do so. So far, he hasn’t been particularly inclined to do so," he said, adding that the IFA would visit France next week to engage with the yard owners.
The appointment of an exporter representative body would be a useful development
Barry-Walsh encouraged Irish live exporters to form a representative body, noting that the Department was currently co-ordinating its shipments with ferry and lairage availability.
"The appointment of an exporter representative body would be a useful development in improving planning and co-operation between exporters. This would enhance their engagement with their French counterparts and especially with the existing owners of the facilities at Cherbourg," she said.
"A united voice does have its advantages."
Egypt and Algeria
Dave Nolan, also a senior Department vet, said that a new health certificate was expected soon for live exports to Egypt. "We have got political agreement for the cert but we still haven’t it signed off at official level. We expect that shortly," he said.
He added that Department officials were planning a technical mission to Algeria this year on a potential certificate to export there.
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