There is a troubling report in this week's edition of the Farming Independent on possible abuses in the poultry sector. Following a complaint by a chicken farmer in County Cavan, Mr. Alo Mohan, Ms Marian Harkin, MEP, raised questions at EU level about possible VAT avoidance schemes in the Irish poultry sector. This appears to have been confirmed by the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, before the European Parliament. If it is true, it is certainly embarrassing to have our dirty linen laundered at European level, but we should be grateful that it is being laundered. However, it is the human side which concerns me more. I am troubled by a line in Mr. Darragh McCullough's report that "Mr. Mohan ... contends that he lost out on €25,000 per year because he did not participate in various VAT arrangements". The report goes on to state Mr. Mohan ceased trading with his processor late last year and has since failed to find a new purchaser for his birds. Ms Harkin describes Mr. Mohan as a "law abiding man, concerned only with doing the right thing", yet his family business of 60 years is no longer trading. It is actually worse than this. This farmer is no longer able to earn a livelihood from what was a very well-kept and high-quality farm.

I should not-----

I am coming to my request to the Minister-----

I should not have to advise the Senator that he should not name individuals in the House.

I accept that, but so far I have only named individuals whose affairs are already public. I totally support what has been said and want to know what exactly is happening. Are we talking about an abuse of power? If the man in question and his farm family in County Cavan have done nothing wrong, why do they not have an outlet for their produce? Are they being blackballed by their previous processor who is not an individual but, I believe, Carton Brothers and Manor Farm in Shercock, County Cavan? Where are the other processors?

I am sorry-----

Where is the competition in the market for the produce of the man in question?

The Senator should not make an allegation about an individual.

I have not made an allegation. I am raising a matter of serious public concern and want to know what is going on. There is a smell and it is more than the smell of rotting chicken.

I thought-----

We have heard from the Minister for Finance, but now we need to hear from the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. There is something going on and I ask the Leader to ensure the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and his Department will look into it.

The Senator is over time.

We may need to take steps to protect the livelihood of an honest broker and prevent or punish any possible abuse of power that may be ongoing or may have occurred in the past. Are the big corporate interests bullying the common man in County Cavan in the same way as they seem to be doing elsewhere in the world?