Dr. Frank O'Mara:

I thank the Deputy for his question and good wishes. I have no doubt we will see a good bit of each other in the coming years, please God. On the cattle side, with the economic breeding index, we are basically using the performance data of the cattle to select the next generation. One measures the progeny of a bull and identifies which is the best bull and breeds from that bull. That is conventional breeding. We have used genomics or genomic selection in cattle breeding in recent years. We have used the DNA profile of the animals as a additional way of identifying, and doing so at an early stage, which of them might be the best but we are not using any technique to alter the DNA of the animal. In conventional plant breeding we do all the same things. We are talking about a technique that could improve that process of getting better genes in an organism. We are talking mainly about plants. The same could happen with animals. The CRISPR-Cas system could be used in animals. Some of the applications for that discussed in the scientific world would include eliminating the need to dehorn animals. The trait of animals producing horns could be removed.