Mr. Cormac Healy:

Our work and focus continues to be around protocols and dealing with the new testing regime. That remains our prime focus.

The Deputy mentioned price. The price is higher than it was at this time last year. The Irish price is above the EU average or EU benchmark price for the markets to which we export. It is about markets and what happens in markets. Across the European economy, there has been some reopening of economies and some recovery in food service which has helped. Where it goes from here I do not know, but every effort is made to find the best markets delivering the best return. The price is stronger than it was at this time last year.

On the specific question about the four weeks' duration of testing, I understand from the Government's announcements thus far that it is proposing serial testing similar to what has been done in other areas.

It is proposed that testing be carried out weekly for four weeks in order to root out the problem, if there is one. I cannot offer advice on that. I would like to think that, across the wide range of plants out there, this testing will not find much. Many plants have had few or no cases. As our chairman said in his opening statement, during the two months up to early August there were only five individual cases among our primary meat-processing members. There has now been a major outbreak in one plant. We should now run through this four-week programme and see what the full extent and nature of the incidence of the disease is. I cannot offer a view beyond that.