The Tanaiste, Ms Harney, has said that she has no powers to investigate Stanlow Trading Ltd, the dissolved meat company of which the Sligo-Leitrim TD, Mr John Ellis, was a director, as it no longer exists. She also confirmed she had no powers under the Companies Acts to seek the restoration of a dissolved company to the companies' register or to publish the results of an investigation if one were possible. She added it was "most unlikely" that any company records would now be available "since they are only required in law to be retained for six years" and Stanlow Trading was dissolved in August 1993.