May I ask the Minister why he will not say how much extra slaughtering capacity is actually involved?

I have already said this project is not about additional slaughtering capacity.

There is extra slaughtering capacity. How much is there?

If there is additional slaughtering capacity, grant aid will be dependent on additional cattle coming on stream.

How much extra is planned over the five year period?

There is none planned. This proposal is about increasing the added value of the products processed at home.

What is going to happen in the four new plants?

Is the Minister saying there is no extra slaughtering at all as part of this project, or is he saying there will only be extra slaughtering capacity if there are extra cattle. He said both of those things at different times today. Which is the case?

What are they slaughtering in Tuam?

Please allow questions to proceed in an orderly fashion.

What we are talking about in this plan is investment in technology and additional downstream——

Just answer the question I asked.

Please, Deputy Bruton.

What is the Minister covering up?

If the Deputies are going to raise the temperature, indulge in argument or attempt to debate this matter, I will move to the next question.

Let the Minister answer my question.

I am trying to answer it to the best of my ability. As I said, the whole thrust of this project is to increase added value and additional processing jobs downstream, getting away from live exports and carcase meat——

Are there extra slaughterings?

There are three new slaughtering and processing facilities as part of the project.

With what capacity?

It is not envisaged that those three plants will have any additional slaughtering capacity. They will be involved in specialised added value products.

They will be killed elsewhere?

They can, yes.

And that is what will happen.

That is what we are talking about — a range of specialised added value products or processing the fifth quarter, as they say colloquially.

Why did they want the extra slaughtering capacity?