Mr. Michael Doran:

When we were looking at it, we were told a certain number of bulls would go up and a certain number would go down. We were given the range of the changes but the decision was made. It was the same when we were asked to delay for six months. I had a herd-book contacting me to ask if we could delay for six months and wanting to know if it could have the information on all the pedigree registered bulls their members own and farm at the moment. It wanted the information but for the farmer not to have the information for six months. I am clear as chair of a board that provides genetic independent evaluations that everyone has the same information. The view was farmers wanted the information now rather than delaying the inevitable. If feed costs have gone up, we reflect that in what we do.

I had another phone call from a person who has a number of pedigree breeds on their farm. When I discussed with him why different animals in different sections had changed, he said he agreed those animals ate an awful lot more than the others so he understood why the change had taken place.

A number of people have discussed communications. The board had a strategy of communicating the changes with a plan in place. However, a national newspaper put it on the front page a month before we had implemented those changes so the information was out there and that changed part of that.