I welcome Mr. Ladislav Skopal, chairman of the committee on agriculture of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, and the other members of the delegation visiting Ireland this week. The delegation is most welcome to this special meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture and Food. The delegation has already met some members of the joint committee and I apologise for the absence of our main Opposition spokespersons, Deputies Timmins and Upton, who are unavoidably absent due to parliamentary party meetings elsewhere in the country. As I explained earlier, our joint committee comprises Members of both Houses, Dáil Éireann - our House of Representatives - and Seanad Éireann - our Senate. There are 15 members of the joint committee, and for the purpose of dealing with legislation we sit as a select committee, which consists of Members of Dáil Éireann together with the Minister for Agriculture and Food or his Ministers of State.
I now invite Mr. Skopal to speak after which we will have a question and answer session.