Ms Clare Dunne:

We work closely with the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection on all of this. We have probably never worked more closely with them than we have over the past six months or so. The Department provides us with the assurance that efforts are being made on the part of these companies within the EEA to attract workers. That is what it is telling us. This is not just a one-off whereby a quota is decided on one day. Our Department and the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection work assiduously with the sector. Where necessary, the Department of Justice and Equality is also involved. A great deal of outreach work is taking place to meet the sector and explain matters to it. We are also seeking to ensure the sector engages in a real and meaningful way with the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection before it comes back to us to seek an extension of its quotas. We believe we have that covered off as best we can at the moment, but we are keeping a close eye on it.

Regarding the WRC, I do not have full information on each and every check. However, the commission has inspected some of the sites that received work permits under the meat processing pilot scheme. The information I received back is that the commission has looked at several plants and all were found to be fully compliant with the terms and conditions of the permits. The terms and conditions include access to suitable housing, the provision of language training and so on. I will ask the commission.