Calls have been made for an urgent, coordinated response across the Irish agricultural sector to secure sufficient shipping capacity for live cattle exports following Brittany Ferries’ decision to withdraw its livestock transport service between Ireland and mainland Europe.
Farmers, livestock exporters, farm organisations and other agricultural stakeholders met in Athlone, where there was broad agreement that action is needed now to protect Ireland’s access to key EU markets.
MEP Ciaran Mullooly said the meeting had delivered a clear message that Ireland’s livestock shipping infrastructure must be protected. A total of 184,211 calves were exported to EU markets in 2025.
“There can be no interruption to this vital export trade in 2027,” he said. “We must do everything within our power to protect our shipping infrastructure and maintain our access to European markets.”
ICSA president Sean McNamara called on the Government to establish a dedicated live exports taskforce involving all relevant stakeholders.
“It is not enough for Department officials to monitor the situation. We need an action plan, and we need to act on it,” he said.
Mr McNamara warned that the issue extends beyond next spring’s calf trade, with the autumn weanling trade already underway, and said certainty over shipping capacity was essential for exporters and farmers.
Mr Mullooly said dairy co-operatives, marts, exporters and farm organisations must also use their collective influence to help secure adequate capacity.
“We cannot wait until next spring to discover that we do not have the capacity to move the cattle,” Mr McNamara concluded.
