I suppose the Taoiseach is aware that a €5 million contract was lost recently. A Libyan cattle buyer who wanted to buy 400 bulls had applied for a visa in mid-November to come to this country to see what he was buying. To date, he has been given no account of the status of his visa. He has now gone to Spain to purchase these animals.

Previous taoisigh and Ministers for justice and agriculture would have gone to great lengths to get the likes of this man. They would have got the document that he was looking for from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, they would have flown to Libya for him and brought him here, and some Minister would have stayed with him for the three or four days that he was here. Are the Taoiseach and the Government in some way beholden to the factories?

The Deputy has made his point.

The major point is, whether they are beholden to the factories? Are they in some way-----

Let us ask the Minister.

I am asking the question. Is the Government in their pockets in some way?

Please, Deputy.

There are farmers struggling with bull beef and they cannot get them into the factories.

The Deputy is taking other Deputies' time.

They would not let the buyer in here to purchase them. What has gone wrong?

Please.

All the Taoiseach has done is advise people not to eat beef.

Will the Deputy please resume his seat?

What is the Government doing for them?

Will the Deputy please contain himself?

It would be both unwise and inappropriate of me to enter into a dialogue on the floor of the House on the subject matter of a visa application. Everybody would accept that. I am happy to talk to the Deputy about the facts if he drops me a note on the issue at hand.

I thank the Minister.

It is certainly not as simple or straightforward as has been suggested by the Deputy.