Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the contributors. Apropos of the previous conversations, I have sympathy for the people involved on all sides, including the farmers who are trying to get a price for their product and the processors who are competing internationally. I worked in the meat processing industry for five years so I have a good idea of some the challenges, not least those relating to employees.

I refer to some of the points that have come up. With regard to compliance and contact tracing, it has been said that 90% of contacts of positive cases in the meat industry have been traced whereas the figure is 70% in the general community.

Will the witnesses outline why they believe 90% is the figure? Why is it so skewed so high in comparison to the community figure?