Mr. Joe Burke:

The background historically would have been based on BSE risk. Obviously, that is no longer a factor. Certainly, our vets would have reassured the authorities in that country but that would have been what the feedback and the demand would have been. To be fair, most of the demand so far for Irish cattle has been for younger cattle. I know Irish exporters would have liked to have sold heavier cattle if they could have. Perhaps at certain times, buying heavier rather than lighter animals would have represented better value, but that was the feedback and demand. One could put 2,500 light cattle on a boat whereas one might fit only 2,000 or 1,800 heavier cattle on it, so the transport cost per head or even per kilogram might work out more expensive for the heavier cattle than for the light cattle. That might be part of the reason we have sent mainly light cattle so far.