Mr. Paschal Hayes:

The current position on the consultation process is that we are still consulting with the relevant agencies and, hopefully, in early January, we will see if they have anything to bring forward. As things stand, we do not see a need to put in a submission. However, this will depend on what our agencies say to us. The €30,000 cap is in the de minimisregulation rather than in the one that is out for consultation at the moment. The de minimisregulation has been already adopted. Even though we put forward a case on behalf of Ireland, as did other member states, that the cap should be higher - that was in the spring of this year at the meetings on the de minimisrule - the Commission was not for moving on it. In answer to the Chairman's question on this particular consultation, the €30,000 de minimiscap would not be part of it.