Ms Eimear McGuinness:

Most definitely. We are a service. We do not set out to make a lot of money. Suckler cow numbers are reducing drastically throughout the country. That is a major issue for us too. There has been a drastic reduction in the number of cattle coming through our doors already this year. That has not spread throughout the country yet but in Donegal there has been a drastic reduction. That will eat into profits. The Property Services Regulatory Authority, PRSA, now regulates us as well. We have to do more book work. Marts are 50 years old. We put up a new office last year and before that we had to put on a new roof. Cattle abuse livestock pens. There is constant work to be done. Everything is increasing in price. We work to accommodate the different costs each year but we cannot accommodate for something that jumps so drastically. We are a very small mart and that has to be taken into account. We make our money on whatever stock comes through the door and that is reducing each year. I set up a separate business last year sending sheep direct for slaughter and I had to do that to make up for the drop in numbers coming through. It is eaten up every year, and that is all down to insurance.