Dr. Frank O'Mara:

Deputy Cahill asked a question about sexed semen. I do not have the figures off the top of my head. Fertility using sexed semen is lower. We have conducted two large trials with sexed semen. The first was three or four years ago, where fertility was approximately 20% lower than conventional semen, although I cannot recall the figure exactly. Indications were that the process of producing the sexed semen had improved over the years so we conducted another trial last year, in the hope that we would find improved fertility. We found that it had not improved much at all since the previous trial. On analysing the data in detail, there was some evidence that the timing of AI might have an impact on its success rate when using sexed semen, so we felt it was worth doing another trial to examine that. That trial is ongoing on farms in recent weeks. We are examining timing in relation to the onset of heat. We are hopeful but we do not know what the answer will be. That is why we are doing the trial. The fertility might be similar to what one would get in conventional semen. Mr. Kelly might know the additional cost of a sexed straw.