Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank all our guests for being here. It is good to see them back in the committee room again.

I have a number of questions. I will deal with them individually in case we run out of time. Thankfully, a couple have already been asked.

The first is in respect of the TB forum and its subcommittees. Conscious that the Department has set it up in lights, in effect, as the source of the solution to the issues that have arisen, and following on from the discussion around the herd letters that were issued, the clear breakdown of trust that that led to and the other issues that have arisen, I would be grateful if some of our guests could give an indication as to whether the TB forum is an effective body. Are they confident that it will deliver on its stated objective, which is to drastically reduce the incidence of TB? I note that in its submission, the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers' Association, ICSA, cited concerns that the sub-groups were not working in tandem, and across the submissions today, there were a number of similar type of concerns. I would be grateful if some of our guests gave a sense as to whether they are confident that those concerns are overdressed, and that the Department and other stakeholders are eager to ensure that the TB forum is a viable proposition to meet its stated objectives.