Victor Boyhan Praises Jackie's Appointment, Seeks NI Clarity

Thank you very much. Well first I'd like to welcome Jackie and congratulate you. I can think of no one more eminently suitable and qualified and experienced to take the job. I suppose we want to be clear here, as I always say in these meetings, that the punters that are listening in here need to understand what we're doing. We have no veto over this appointment. This appointment, as my colleague said earlier on, Willie Eyred, has come through the Public Service Appointments Service. You have been successful in that process and you've been endorsed by the Minister. And the Minister indeed wrote to this Commission on the 4th of March 2026 to inform us of the same. So we've known for some time that you have been chosen as the Minister. And I think it's a measure of a fair, independent-minded Minister to have made the decision. Because you come with the skill and the experience. You've demonstrated this in the Houses of the Oireachtas and your work. And I've seen you in practice, right from being a Councillor, President of the ICMSA, you were a member of Board BIA, you know, or NUA, the National Dairy Council. So you bring a wealth of experience, but you also bring that street credo in terms of your knowledge and your understanding of the Irish farmers and the Irish dairy sector. Earlier, I'm not at liberty to discuss, but earlier we had the Chief Veterinary Officer in here. And one of the issues I raised was, of course, the issue of vaccines and following the science. And it's interesting, in my own observations outside of today, we know that the highest cohort of animal owners, producers who are seeking availing of the vaccine are the dairy sector. Now, of course, that is the reason, because there's a risk factor and a value there. But that is going to be very significant when we, in turn, follow the science in terms of the adverse effects. And this is something we've always got to be mindful in this Committee, of the impact. We've no definitive data on the impact of vaccine, but that's for another day. But I just want to flag that. But I want to say, well done. I think you're the right man for the job. Sorry, you're the right person for the job. And I wish you well. And I want to, again, congratulate the Minister for acknowledging that you're best placed. But it isn't a political favour. I wouldn't want that to go out from here. It is a decision that has gone through a proper, open and transparent process, as set out in the Minister's letter, in relation to the public service appointment service. So you have been picked on merit, expertise and what you can bring to the job. And I have no doubt you'll bring your practicalities as a farmer in the dairy sector, in farm partnership, who understands the sector, who speaks to the people in the sector. One question, and only one question, because I need some clarity on this. In terms of your role of your organisation, maybe, Maurice, you could touch on this, is in relation to your jurisdiction or remission in relation to Northern Ireland. And again, I like the emphasis that you've said today here, Jackie, and indeed you, Maurice, is your producer and processor led. And the synergy of that, that very strong interconnectivity of the processor and the producer. So finally, look, I just want to wish you well. And you might be able to answer the question in relation to any remit you may have, in terms of milk going north and south, and the processing and the production of that. Because I think that's an area that not everyone understands. Thank you very much.