I propose to take Questions Nos. 306, 334, 359, 361, 362, 363, 367 and 369 together.
During my visit to Egypt last week, I met the Egyptian President, the Prime Minister, the Minister for Trade and Supply and the Minister for Agriculture. All indicated a political willingness to reopen the Egyptian market to live cattle from Ireland, which I am satisfied would not have been achieved without my visit. I agreed with the Egyptian Minister for Agriculture that arrangements would be made immediately in regard to finalising a Protocol on the technical conditions under which trade could be resumed. In effect these conditions would guarantee that the cattle supplied from Ireland were steers not over 30 months of age. I have already transmitted proposals to Cairo for a memorandum of understanding to cover the trade and I am confident of an early reply. I cannot give a precise date for resumption of the trade; this will depend on how quickly the details of the Protocol can be finalised. Once the market reopens, I would hope that, based on previous levels of exports to that market, supply levels in 1997 will be close to 100,000 head.