New data protection laws known as the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) come into effect on 25 May 2018 to give European citizens greater control over their personal data. As a Society we value our members privacy and are committed to handling your personal data honestly, ethically and in accordance with applicable laws. GDPR brings in new regulations as to how personal data can be collected, stored and processed. The Society is therefore in the process of reviewing its policies and procedures which will be available here on our website.

On Tuesday the 22nd May a delegation from the Irish Charolais Cattle Society along with Alison De Vere Hunt, Manager in Cashel Mart, made a presentation to Agricultural Affairs Committee in the Oireachtas. They outlined their concerns regarding the Beef Data Genomics Programme (BDGP), suckling farming in Ireland and issues with the ICBF. If you wish to see the full presentation from the Society, click on the link below and go to 1:28.00 in the video.

https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/oireachtas-tv/video-archive/committees/1686/

The inclusion of UK Charolais EBV data in the ICBF evaluations is a major development for pedigree Charolais breeders in Ireland who own UK bred animals, or who wish to use semen from UK Charolais sires. This breakthrough can only be seen as positive for the Charolais breed in Ireland, as there is a substantial influence of UK Charolais genetics in the breed here today. According to ICBF "they do not receive the actual data recorded from foreign countries, so they incorporate the EBVs after their domestic evaluations have taken place."