Mr. Philip Carroll:

I thank the Chairman. There is quite a range of questions there. I will try to deal with some of them, and my colleagues might add to some of the detail that I do not have. On the question of a cartel, which Senator Conway-Walsh referred to, that has been referred to by the Beef Plan Movement as well. That seems to have emerged without any evidence at all being advanced by anybody. It is a bit of an old chestnut. It has been around forever, in a sense, but the reality is, and I think people should be aware of it, that the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has looked at a number of cases over the last two or three years, which have involved takeovers and mergers.

It has looked at every one of them. Many contrary views have been expressed to it as to whether those mergers or takeovers should be allowed. They have been analysed not only by the Irish competition authority but also by the European competition authority. I can recall at least three cases - there may well have been more - which were allowed by the competition authority. They all happened within the last two or three years. There is nothing new about it coming up, but when those issues have been looked at the view of the competition authority was that the concentration resulting from those particular mergers and takeovers has not had the effect that people allege it has had.