Dr. Susan Steele:

A question was asked about the needs of the Chinese market with regard to cadmium levels in crabmeat. The role of the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority in signing health certificates for third country non-EU markets has grown. With the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, we have to sign a health certificate for anything that is going to Russia or China. In this case, the certificate comes from China, the Chinese authorities write it and we sign our name to a number of attestations in it, one of which relates to the cadmium levels in crabmeat. The wording of the Chinese health certificate means that the levels of cadmium in brown and white crabmeat must be tested. When we test brown crabmeat, it is above the Chinese minimum level. The Chinese authorities have imposed a cadmium limit because they have had pollution problems in the past. Unfortunately, some people thought there was pollution in Irish waters. This would have been an issue in the United Kingdom also. We are working proactively with the industry on this issue. The Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority genuinely believes we can have coastal communities full of jobs and seas full of fish. There is huge potential in the sea. We have travelled with the Minister to China to resolve this issue.

The Minister has spoken there at length about the issue. We have brought a group of Chinese import agents here to show them that the waters are clean and pure. We are hoping to come to a conclusion that they will look at the water testing and monitoring methods in Ireland rather than measuring the natural background level of crab. In the meantime, we have taken a proactive step in that if we sign the health certificates knowing the level is too high, we would be risking every single bit of Ireland's reputation. This is because what they are looking for when they get a Government agency to sign a health certificate is for us to say it is okay. We met the industry and, rather than have the Chinese close the market, we decided that we would proactively stop it. We are actively working to reopen that market and are confident that it will be, and that there will be a solution for the Irish industry. As those in the industry will be aware, we are positively and proactively working to get it resolved.

The next question is on oyster dredging and the Swilly inspection. As for whether it is an IFI licence, I am sorry but I have no awareness of this issue. Apologies, I will hand over to Mr. Micheál O'Mahony. I do not if he has an awareness there.