Mr. P.J. Burke:

On the earlier question about funding overseas, there are seven countries that provide subsidies for the installation of slat rubber. In Finland, for the past five years there has been a minimum 40% subsidy for the installation of rubber.

On top of that, the meat factories give 11 cent per kg deadweight to farmers, which equates to about 30% to 40%, depending on the kill-out and the price of the animal. Norway adopted the technology four years ago and it too gives a 40% minimum subsidy. In the Netherlands for the past four years, the Government has given a 40% subsidy for installing rubber under all bovine animals, be it veal, dairy or beef animals. In Germany, some of the biggest federal states, such as Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony and Bavaria, have a minimum 40% subsidy. In addition, by the year 2024, it will be mandatory for all new builds in Germany to have slat rubber, be it our rubber or some other rubber on the marketplace. In Northern Ireland for the past seven years, slat rubber was on top of the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme, TAMS, chosen product for subsidy. It had been adopted during that period by many farmers in the North of Ireland. Just this year in Cumbria, which is a sensitive area a bit like the Burren in Ireland, they have adopted a full 100% grant for the installation of our rubber that has a regulation on ammonia and livestock, RAV, number of a 30% reduction in ammonia in a sensitive area. These are all countries that have seen the need for the uptake of rubber and have stimulated farmers to take that on.