Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

I have just read them out for the Deputy. They applied to any changes to certain specified articles of the articles of association of Greencore, the voluntary winding up of Greencore, the sale of more than 49% of Irish Sugar plc and the creation of a new class of shares in Greencore. At the time the Government obtained legal advice on its ability to participate in the decision made by Greencore. The decision was entirely one for Greencore. The Government had no competence, acting as the special shareholder, to make or contribute to a decision on the renunciation of our sugar quota.

The Deputy and others mentioned the possibility of recommencing the industry here. I quickly went through the report earlier today. The Commission, in its response to the European Court of Auditors' findings, mentions the court's finding that there is stability in the sugar regime and it appears to have no appetite for revisiting the issue of quota. Greencore, the quota holder, renounced Ireland's quota allocation and compensation was paid to the stakeholders in the industry. If the Commission was to entertain the idea of a quota allocation for this country, the question of the compensation paid on the renunciation of the quota would arise. The establishment of a sugar industry in Ireland would be the subject of a commercial decision. We have received no indication that any company or enterprise is interested in establishing such an enterprise. We have no indication that any particular company is interested in establishing such an enterprise in this country.

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