Vol. 472 No. 4
38 Mr. H. Byrne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry further to his reply to Parliamentary Question No. 168 of 6 November 1996, if he will elaborate on his assertion that the quantities of output at the nine approved meat and bone meal plants in the country is commercially sensitive information; and the regulation or agreement which precludes him from disclosing this information. [23394/96]
As I indicated to the Deputy in reply to his Question No. 267 yesterday, information on the output of individual rendering plants is commercially sensitive. It is not a question of regulation or agreement but one respecting the commercial position of individual plants. I do not consider any useful purpose would be served by publishing these particular figures. Details of the total output of the rendering industry have been made available to the Deputy.
