I thank all the Deputies for their work over the thorough process that was involved in bringing this legislation through to where it is. I thank Members for the massive work they put in during Committee Stage and for the comprehensive pre-legislative scrutiny report that was afforded me. Right through this process my objective has been, as it was with Members, to ensure we set up a statutory independent office that will ensure there is transparency in the food supply chain and, in particular, that will make sure th…

I thank the Senator for raising this issue as a Commencement matter. He is always a very strong advocate on agricultural issues and I see that today he has brought backup as well with Terry and Patrick from Ballymahon Secondary School so I know he has a good team with him this morning. We are both very much focused on delivering an excellent forestry sector that will benefit farmers, rural communities and the overall economy. Forestry has a significant role to play in helping to achieve our climate ambitions. That …

I thank the Senator. I have laid out the regulations and rules that apply where licences are required and where there are exemptions, and the onus and responsibilities on landowners in terms of any decision they make and making sure they comply with the law. In this particular instance, I am happy for the Senator to correspond further with me and, having considered the regulatory framework that is there, to put the case to me as to whether he feels it was followed and complied with. I am happy to engage further wit…

Deputy Kerrane’s final point has been considered in great detail right throughout the process. We started with the consultation, then pre-legislative scrutiny and Committee Stage, which many Deputies participated in. I met with key stakeholders who made a submission to me which was fully considered. It made 20 recommendations, 18 of which were either wholly or substantially accepted and were incorporated by me into the Bill. This has been very significantly considered. The Bill will be historic because it will be t…

On the Deputy's final comment, we have a great responsibility in this Chamber to be fair to everyone.

However, the Deputy's comments are very unfair in relation to the bona fides of everyone who is working in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, from here in Kildare Street right throughout the country. Their job day in, day out is to work on behalf of the agriculture sector and farmers in particular. We have one of the best records in this country of serving farmers, of delivering payments and of working to make sure that service is the best in Europe. That is what our Department does. That is what o…

-----bring transparency to the food supply chain. I do not believe this amendment is necessary at all. I believe the legislation is exceptionally strong.

I will begin with Deputy Carthy's point as it speaks to an issue I did not address when we discussed amendment No. 10 and Deputy McNamara's point on mandating the regulator to gather information about the cost of production and so on. The Bill provides for that. The Bill has been thought about for a long time and given lots of consideration. Section 80(2)(g), for example, provides the capacity to the Minister to make regulations under that section to instruct the regulator to carry out "the collection of price and …

No. Not one of the Deputies has given an example of how it would work in Ireland. They are saying we should introduce a set price for set products.

Not one of the Deputies has given an example of how it would work. Deputy McNamara's amendment suggests that a certain product like Irish beef could only be sold in Irish supermarkets at a price set by the regulator in consultation with Teagasc. That is what the Deputy is asking to happen.

Let us say that in a supermarket in Ireland Irish meat could not be sold below a certain price. If I read it right, the Deputy's amendment is also saying that it cannot be bought below a certain price to be sold in Ireland. I think that is what the Deputy is saying although it is not quite clear. It also seems to be saying that a supermarket in Ireland or anybody in the contract chain in a factory could not buy it from a farmer below that price. That is what the Deputy is saying. However, only about 10% of the meat…

I see that the Deputy is watering down what he was suggesting before and what everybody else was taking up as his meaning of this, that, hey presto, we were going to put minimum prices into the Bill. That is how everybody took him up.

I did not see the Deputy correct anybody else. That was what he was trying to sell; that that was what he was proposing. Even Deputy Carthy, who participated in the pre-legislative scrutiny of this whole process, did not propose that. Deputy Carthy now says he will support Deputy McNamara's amendment, but Deputy Carthy did not propose, through the pre-legislative scrutiny, that such a provision should be in the legislation. I am just explaining this as it is. If Deputy McNamara is saying that olive oil cannot be so…

I have explained the position to Deputy McNamara, and Deputy Carthy said Ireland objected to below-cost selling at EU level. We had below-cost selling here in Ireland before. Below-cost selling is different from below-cost buying. The fact that somebody sells something below a certain cost does not mean he or she will give a fair price to the person from whom he or she has bought it. It is therefore really below-cost buying which is the challenge from the farmer's point of view. The farmer is not overly worried wha…

I thank the Deputies for the contributions here today as well. This is something we discussed on Committee Stage and I said I would look at it further. The point was made by Deputy Kerrane on Committee Stage that what is proposed - to call it "the regulator" as opposed to "the rialálaí" - may not comply with Government policy and with section 9D of the Official Languages Act, which relates to the name and logo of newly established bodies. I have checked and it does. Having said that, to change it in the way Deputy …

We cannot just tweak it on the floor.

I am happy to reflect on the matter further in advance of the Bill going to the Seanad, but I do not think it makes sense to go with "the rialálaí". As I have said, it does comply with Government policy and legislation. I am happy to consider the matter further and to come back on it when the Bill is in the Seanad.

I have reflected on it. I am not in a position to support it because I believe a risk of ambiguity could arise from it such that it could be interpreted to mean that the scope of the regulator's work covers consumers. A raft of existing legislation deals with business-to-consumer matters and that is not the particular purpose of the Bill, which is to address the relationship between businesses. The key objective of the Bill is to strengthen, in particular, the role of the primary producer and small food suppliers i…

Yes, I propose a couple of consequential amendments on that, but I will be following through on the commitment I gave. I said to Deputy Carthy that if the amendment were to be resubmitted, as I indicated, starting from the word "seek", I would be happy to accept it. The word that has been used is "authorised". The amendment currently states that "the regulator shall be authorised to seek". By saying "shall be authorised", you then need to define who authorises, how one authorises, etc., but by simply getting rid of…

Rásaíocht Con Éireann (RCÉ) is a commercial state body, established under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958 chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. RCÉ is a body corporate and a separate legal entity to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The question raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for RCÉ and, therefore, the question has been referred to the body for direct reply.