Mr. Dermot Ryan:

Senator Ó Domhnaill raised a question about the volume of imports. Ireland imports at total of 3 million tonnes of feed materials approximately per annum, of which 1.2 millions or 40% is made up of GM feed materials - soya bean and maize by-products, which are distiiller's dried grains and corn gluten. The protein content of soya bean is more than 40% and the protein content of the other products is more than 20%. These materials are used specifically to bolster the protein content of compound feeds. The soya bean is particularly important for pigs and poultry. One cannot use the distiller's dried grains or the corn gluten and, therefore, the pig and poultry industry is dependent on the soya bean. That is a European wide situation regarding pigs and poultry.

With regard to the cultivation of alternative crops, as has been mentioned, there is a financial incentive of €250 per hectare to grow beans, peas and sweet lupins. A number of feed compounders are geared up to process those products. They can be used to varying extents in the diets of animals. Peas can be used for pigs and poultry and beans and lupins can be used for dairy cattle.

Of course, the relative use of those protein supplements versus soya bean, corn gluten or distillers grains always is a cost factor. There is another issue of the quantity of peas and beans that one can grow in Ireland, given the harvest conditions and given the soil conditions that are required. I believe that deals with the aspect the Senator raised in this regard.

The Senator asked a question about any submissions that might have been made at this stage. This current proposal is relatively new and only came out on 22 April. It will come before the Council next week and that will be the first stage. It also will come before the European Parliament next week. Following on from that level, the procedure is that it will go down to a working group from the Council and it will go down to a rapporteur from the Parliament. We will then be in a co-decision process, which will come later on. If one likes, it is a rather long process and at this stage, and we are only at the very start of it. We already have received the views of the Irish Grain and Feed Association which has made clear its views on this proposal. Obviously, our Department will be interested in the views of this joint committee when members finish their deliberations. At present, we are at the early stages. In common with many other member states, we have a lot of questions for the Commission. Other member states and indeed the European trade have raised international trade issues regarding the World Trade Organization and so on. We are examining the proposal at present and obviously we will wish to get clarification on a number of issues and that is a process that will be gone through.