Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Dr. Crossan. Turning to Mr. Coughlan, the ICBF website specifies that the indexes are a monetary figure expressing the profitability of progeny. In the new indexes, we have seen the introduction of carbon and an increased emphasis on TB. Yet carbon has no effect or implication for the monetary value or profitability of an animal. What would Mr. Coughlan say in response to this point? Where has the carbon come from? I appreciate that nationally we are focused on the environment, but who said that carbon was to have a significant input, given that right now it has no implications whatsoever for the value or profitability of an animal?