Paul Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the delegation. I congratulate Mr. Gorman and, indeed, in her absence - we will know doubt meet her in due course - Ms Alice Doyle on her election as vice president. I wish them both the very best in their tenure. I look forward to crossing swords on numerous occasions going forward.

As Mr. Gorman knows, officials from the Department are appearing before the committee after this session so from my perspective anyway, this session is about fact-finding and then we will see how we get on with them. I have a few questions. Notwithstanding what was in his opening statement, it is probably only elaboration or threading out more of what was in there. He said, and it is very obvious from this, that this beetle comes in or travels only in the bark of infected timbers. Is there any other way this beetle could travel? If we get the departmental officials to yield here in the next hour and say they are going to stop all imports, are we sure then that the beetle will not get in? Is there any other way it can tag on to something or travel? How did the beetle get to where it started out its journey? How did it enter the UK first?