Several efforts were made by my Department to ease the hardship to the farmers in the counties involved, particularly those in the west. People in my part of the country were fortunate that the strike did not spread to it. The necessity of obtaining advance clearance from the CMMS data for animals intended for local slaughterhouses was temporarily suspended and an arrangement was reached with the union to introduce procedures to deal with urgent animal welfare cases. The dispute has proven difficult to resolve and my Department is continuing to work towards a resolution. I am sure the House will appreciate the necessity of resolving the dispute within the partnership process, which has served the country well to date.