Mr. Gerry Lynskey:

Two of the questions pertain to the issue of patents and intellectual property. It is notoriously difficult to get formal patents in the software world, particularly if one is in the area of business management, which is essentially what we are in. We are effectively being used as marketing guinea pigs by the State bodies. We try out literally hundreds of things between the two companies, ranging from tweaks to existing programmes to major innovations. Some of them run and some of them do not. In any business, one has to keep trying. What happens is that the things that do run and that would in the normal course of business events make money for us are seized on by the State bodies and it is a case of "This is a good one - we'll take it". If we were not around, they would have to do expensive market research in order to do that.

On the question of data sharing, we have a track record going back the best part of two decades of taking data from official bodies and sending data back to them. We have worked closely with the Department, Teagasc and the ICBF in terms of exchanging data, ironically enough, even though we are, in effect, complaining about them in another role. Our track record on that has been one of responsible companies that tried to provide an optimum service for our customers at minimum price and, at the same time, work closely with external bodies.

The very fact that we have been around for 18 and 25 years, respectively, is proof of that.

Another question concerned the issue of support. Both Kingswood and IFC focus greatly on support. We have been around for 20 years or so and, whatever about now, 20 years ago the level of IT expertise among farmers was low so we had to have a strong emphasis on support. At one stage we had about 20 trainers and installers doing the rounds, going to farms at 7 p.m. or 8 p.m., spending two or three hours with farmers. We have had to cut back on that because of pressures, as discussed.

Obviously, an organisation such as Teagasc has considerable advantages. It has advisers who can be used to support its spreadsheets, or whatever, and that is the way it gets around this area. I am not sure what the Department does but I believe it, too, has helplines.

I did not entirely pick up on the final question Deputy Colreavy asked concerning the benefit to the Department.