Mr. Padraig Brennan:

One of the results from the last beef task force meeting was that we would work according to a three-year programme to develop a suckler brand for Irish suckler beef. In this regard, an oversight group had its first meeting this week. Farmers make up the majority of its representatives. Over the coming months, we will be starting to build up the brand proposition and identify the concepts behind it and messages we will be delivering. Once this is done, as we approach March or April of next year, we will go about launching the brand in the European marketplace. The brand is for Irish suckler beef. It is a stand-alone brand, as it stands. If we are to be successful with a PGI, we will ascertain how brands can be integrated together over a period.