Mr. Eamon Corley:

Okay. We sell beef on the UK market at 17% less than British beef. We take many imports from the UK and do not pay 17% less. In Holland, Irish and British beef are sold side-by-side and the Irish beef is sold for 10% less. There has to be an explanation for that.

We talk about customer requirements. We have talked about 30 months and the four movement rule. One can look at the pack on beef and it says "21 days aged". The consumer is being fooled. It does not say "21 days dry aged" but "21 days aged", which means it has sat in a vacuum pack for 21 days. Can we educate the consumer about the consistency of beef? The things that should be consumer specifications are not being promoted by the meat factories and Meat Industry Ireland. The things that are important such as being dry aged and the consistency of the beef do not relate to how old the beef is or the things that we are told are important. They are the other things that are conveniently forgotten about because it does not suit the meat factories. We have to be real about this and to educate consumers about what they are buying.

Phil Hogan is in favour of protected geographical indication, PGI, status. Kepak came out as being against it, as did a man present here, saying that the consumer would not want it. PGI status is important for suckler-bred beef.