I propose to take Questions Nos. 85 to 92, inclusive, together. The two irregularities referred to in the reply to Question No. 151 of 28 January took place in the period April 1982 to July 1983 and involved amounts of some £59,000 and £48,000. They related exclusively to transactions between the firms concerned and my Department. The question of advising farmers' representatives does not arise in such circumstances. No losses are known to have been suffered by suppliers or farmers as a consequence of the irregularities and no other irregularities concerning weights came to notice in these cases either before or after the beef was moved into intervention.
In accordance with standard practice, the cases were investigated by my Department in consultation with the State's legal advisers and, in one case, the Garda Síochána. The Commission of the European Communities was also involved. Satisfactory settlements were reached in both cases and the question of further legal action did not arise.
Because of temporary suspensions of trading and various total and partial changes of ownership precise information on the number of firms which sold beef into intervention during the period covered by Question No. 151 and have since ceased trading or changed ownership is not readily available. So far as my Department are aware, however, at least one of the two firms referred to in the reply to that question would fall within that category.