The next draft Report is of some significance and has current and practical implications. I will summarise it as quickly as I can. It deals with the question of the water content of frozen poultry. Members will recall that, very recently, there was some agitation about this matter in so far as imports into the State from Northern Ireland were concerned. It has been suggested that the high water content of Northern Ireland originating poultry gives the Northern Ireland manufacturer or producer a competitive advantage over his southern counterpart. That is a matter the Department here must advert to very seriously. Otherwise the regulation would not be of any great significance from our point of view. We export about £1 million worth of poultry in any year, mainly to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland.
Common Standards for the Water Content of Frozen and Deep-Frozen Fowl Carcases.
There is a misprint in paragraph 3. " Experts" should be " exports ".
Yes. I do not know whether we can afford to start exporting our experts. In so far as that £1 million worth of exports is concerned, we have no problem because our frozen poultry is well within the standard the Directive proposes to lay down. We draw attention to the fact that in so far as imports into this State are concerned, a higher water content might be involved and, therefore, might give the Northern Ireland producer, or the Northern Ireland trade, a competitive advantage. At the moment, of course, it does not arise because these imports into the State from Northern Ireland have been suspended by the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries. This is something to which we are directing attention arising out of this regulation. I take it the Committee agree on that.
Yes.
Paragraphs 1 to 4 inclusive agreed to.
Draft Report agreed to.
Ordered: To report accordingly.