Mr. Paul Reid:

The Deputy is making very strong and clear points, which I cannot disagree with. I reassure the Deputy that at every stage where we become aware of or gain any foresight into supply line issues they are taken up by Department officials quite directly through EU levels and directly with suppliers through the high-level task force. We have ongoing regular engagement with suppliers directly. I can reassure members that any time we have raised issues at a Government level there have been escalations with senior Ministers and the Taoiseach at EU level to strengthen the levels of predictability and reliability. It is a function of what is happening worldwide and certainly what is happening in the EU on the supply level.