Mullooly meeting with Brittany Ferries 'a fact-finding mission'
Independent Ireland MEP Ciaran Mullooly is due to meet with senior management at Brittany Ferries in France next month.
Brittany Ferries recently announced its decision to end its livestock transport services from Ireland to France from next month.
Mullooly and Independent Ireland TD Michael Fitzmaurice already met with chief executive of Brittany Ferries, Christophe Mathieu following the announcement.
They said the Brittany Ferries chief executive said protests involving up to 25 people at Portsmouth Port in the UK had been a principal factor in the company’s decision to withdraw from the Irish livestock export trade.
Brittany Ferries
MEP Mullooly is due to meet with Brittany Ferries chair Jean-Marc Roue, Christophe Mathieu and others in Roscoff on September 7.
It is understood that the company will further explain the context and reasons for its decision regarding the transport of live animals.
MEP Mullooly told Agriland that he believe there's a basis for discussions with Brittany Ferries to reinstate the service, even in a limited capacity.
"We would not be travelling if we did not feel there was a basis for the discussions with Brittany to reopen the service.
"We do this on the back of our initial contact with the chief executive and our subsequent discussions with both the minister for agriculture and the French authorities," he said.
The Midlands–North-West MEP also believes that more support should be offered to the company by the Irish and French governments.
Farmers
Mullooly noted that Brittany Ferries has been majority-owned by farmers since its foundation.
"I'm satisfied that they have the welfare and the economic good of farmers at heart.
"It’s in that respect that we’re going to meet them with a view to a discussion to determine the circumstances under which they would provide a limited service, perhaps even a certain part time of the year which could be the busy calving time – February, March, April.
"That's at the heart of most of our concern at the moment, that time of the year
"We think there's still a role for them in that their sailing, particularly on a Monday, would be an important part of meeting the demand that's there," he said.
Mullooly described the meeting as “very much a fact-finding mission”.
"We're going to brief them on the template that is proposed for feeding calves during transport and seek their cooperation with that model.
"We wouldn't be going at all unless we thought there was an opportunity to change their minds.
"We'll be speaking not just to the chairman and to the chief executive but to other people in their organisation. We think it's worth out while to do so," he said.
Live exports
Mullooly said he will also raise the issue of Ireland's live export capacity with the French president Emmanual Macron when he meets him as part of a group of MEPs on September 8.
A group of about 50 MEPs from the Renew Europe Group - which Mullooly's party, Independent Ireland, is a member of - is set to meet Macron in Paris.
He said he will seek the support of Macron for renewed discussions involving the relevant French, Irish and European authorities , and Brittany Ferries.
