Fergal Browne (Fine Gael)

I wish to ask a question arising from the Minister of State's reply. He may not be able to answer this question now, in which case he can report back to me on it. The Minister of State said that "Sugar factories that had closed before 1 July 2005, such as the Carlow factory, do not come within the scope of the restructuring scheme". We asked on numerous occasions whether we would be entitled to more compensation if it had not closed. Was Greencore premature in closing the Carlow factory? The Minister of State's reply seems to indicate it was. The Minister of State might report back to me on that. A motion was debated in this House last January 12 months calling for a decision not to close the Carlow factory and to wait until the EU reform talks were concluded when we would be better informed. However, the Minister of State's reply appears to indicate that Greencore, by closing the Carlow factory first, has caused us to be in line for less compensation, which will affect everybody. The Minister of State may reply to that question now if he knows the answer to it and, if not, I will await a reply from him.