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

My next three questions are interlinked, so I will ask them together. Slaughter capacity was the starting point of us being made aware of the potential crisis in the pig sector. I first became aware of the crisis when factories in the North indicated that they could not take southern stock due to labour shortages. Has the issue of capacity been addressed in the intervening period? I also noted commentary about the availability of departmental veterinary staff at plants affecting capacity. Has this issue been resolved? Can Mr. Healy say with confidence that MII's members are in a position to ensure that we have a free-flowing market that addresses these elements of the crisis?