Mr. Joe Healy:

To start with the Chairman's question, the committee is well aware of the report by an independent expert, Dr. Pat McCloughan, on the competition issues surrounding ABP Foods and Slaney Meats. One can argue that it falls within the rules, as in the national figure it is 25.8% of the total kill, meaning it is below the line in the sand of 30%. At a more local level with a narrower scale for competition in the south-east area, taking in the premium cattle of steers and heifers falling into the Meat Industry Ireland spec, one is talking about a portion at 44% of the kill. This is why we would argue there would be a severe lack of competition for premium cattle in the south east. We have the report and we have highlighted it in public. We have given it to the competition authorities here and in the United Kingdom, as well as the directorate-general of competition in Brussels. We have also given it to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. That is all the work we could do and it is what we have done.