29 March 2019
By Bryan Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
‘The government must look at the Iranian market and must do all we can to facilitate the export of Irish beef, lamb and chicken to this country.’
The vocal West Cork TD Michael Collins (Ind)
West Cork Independent TD Michael Collins is calling on the Taoiseach to immediately open an embassy in the Iranian capital Tehran and to work closely with the government there in order to expand the export of Irish beef.
‘Other EU exporting countries have embassies in Tehran but we don’t,’ Deputy Collins said.
‘Beef farmers are now facing a possible hard Brexit with all the uncertainty that will bring. The Irish government must look to exporting our beef to other markets and Iran is an idea customer.’
‘Across West Cork and rural Ireland farming families are trying to save their livelihoods as prices for their cattle have collapsed.’
‘The Iranian ambassador is on record saying that the lack of an Irish embassy in Tehran is a major stumbling block when it comes to exporting Irish beef to a country of over €400 million people.’
‘Even if the embassy is run on a skeleton to begin with we must do all we can to open a market for Irish beef and other food products to Iran.’
There has been no Irish representation in Iran since the closure the embassy in Tehran back in 2012.
