Up to 600 jobs are being lost in the meat-processing industry because of Ireland's live cattle exports this year, a protest about the trade heard yesterday.
Speaking at the handing in of 8,000 signatures opposing the trade at the Department of Agriculture and Food yesterday, the Green MEP, Ms Patricia McKenna, said it would be far preferable if the animals were processed here.
Ms McKenna, who is vice-president of the Intergroup of Animal Welfare in the European Parliament, said she fully supported the stand of Compassion in World Farming in Ireland which had organised the protest, that there should be a maximum of 8-9 hours' journey time in the EU for animals going for slaughter or fattening.
She joined with Compassion in World Farming in its call on the Minister for Agriculture and Food, Mr Walsh, to seek such a change at the meeting of farm ministers in Brussels next week.
The European Commission is currently revising its rules on animal transport and has proposed that animals can be transported by road for nine hours followed by a 12-hour rest period.
The draft regulations also specify that boat journeys are not regarded as travel time and that animals should remain on trailers even when the vehicle has stopped for a rest period.
Ms Mary-Anne Bartlett, director of CIWF, said her organisation was pushing for an eight-hour or 500km limit on journeys. Under the proposed regulations journeys could continue indefinitely.