Almost 370,000 sheep were imported to Ireland in 2021, with the vast majority of those coming from Northern Ireland, according to figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).

The department use the TRACES system to record live sheep movements - imports and exports - for the purposes of slaughter, breeding and fattening. This provides information on the country of origin and the quantity of sheep imported each month

Commenting recently in the Dáil, in response to a parliamentary question posed by Deputy Jackie Cahill, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConologue said most most live sheep imported into Ireland come from the UK, including Northern Ireland.

According to DAFM figures, Northern Ireland was the source country for 367,585 imports to Ireland in 2021.

Imports were most popular in the months of November, September, August and July with 42,995, 40,947, 38,842 and 37,816 imported, consecutively.

The least number of animals were imported in June and April with just 18,919 and 19,053, consecutively.

Apart from Northern Ireland, sheep imports also came from France, Belgium and Holland but on a far smaller scale.

In 2021, just 50 sheep came from France; 167 came from Belgium; and 134 came from Holland.