Temporary and emergency measures readily and easily become permanent. There is a huge discrepancy in the dispersal of accommodation for persons with temporary protection and seeking international protection across the State with a huge concentration across the western seaboard in areas heavily reliant on tourism. Even within this city there is a discrepancy. If you travel north from this building or travel south, there is a huge difference statistically. What is the Government doing to address that and when will it…

I wish to highlight a very worrying trend in planning decisions, especially those made by An Bord Pleanála. Obviously, most county development plans include a rural need if a person is farming a particular area. I recently came across the case of a young couple. The man was transferred a farm from a member of the family and he and his spouse sought to develop a house on it. They were told that because of the size of the farm, it was not economically viable to do so. It is a 40-acre farm. It is not the best land in …

Is amendment No. 8 part of the cluster?

I move amendment No. 7: In page 9, between lines 9 and 10, to insert the following: “(3) Without prejudice to the generality of subsections (1) and (2) , the Minister may make regulation requiring that the regulator shall, in consultation with Teagasc - the Agriculture and Food Development Authority - collect such information as is required to ascertain the cost of production in the State of such agricultural or food products as the Minister deems necessary to ensure fairness and transparency in the food and agricu…

I regret that it is a fallacy to say the regulator has strong powers to obtain information. There is a Sinn Féin amendment which I assume the Minister will accept that provides that the regulator may seek various pieces of information from businesses in the food chain. All the regulator can do is seek it. It is not an offence to not provide the information. It is not an offence whatsoever not to give the information. While the regulator will have the power to enter premises to inspect documents, this can be done in…

Yes.

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of people who work in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, who do their jobs fairly right across the country. I am talking about the propensity for people at the very top of the Department to find their way into top jobs with the processors and dairy co-ops in the sector they had previously regulated. I believe that is a problem. I do not believe it applies to all members of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The Minister said that saying it does…

I move amendment No. 8: In page 9, between lines 9 and 10, to insert the following: “(3) (a) Without prejudice to the generality of subsections (1) and (2) , proscription of sale or resale of certain agricultural or food products below their cost of production in the State may be prohibited by regulation. (b) A party to a contract or commercial relationship for the supply of agricultural products and food products, or such agricultural products and food products as the Minister deems necessary to ensure fairness an…

It is the richest part of the country.

I did; I mentioned Spain.

Not only that; it would not be sold below a certain price.

I wish to respond to the Minister's comments. What I am proposing to do in this amendment is give future Ministers the power to introduce such an order. Why does the Minister not want the power to introduce such an order? The amendments I have proposed do not require the Minister to do anything by regulation but they facilitate him in bringing in specific regulations to do certain things. I would have thought that the power to introduce a regulation might be useful to the Minister and future Ministers and might lea…

He wants to stop them having the power to help anybody, and that is an historical failure.

The Minister can read English.

That is clearly what the amendment says.

The amendment clearly states that sale or resale "may be prohibited by regulation". I have not changed it in the past ten minutes, hour, day or week. That is what it states; that is what I proposed. The Minister possibly did not read it, but that is his business. The Minister seems happy with a scenario whereby Irish beef producers should produce below the cost of production and a Minister will have no power to do anything about it. I do not have all the answers. I am not saying or pretending I do, but I am saying …

The Minister digressed; so did I.

Ba mhaith liom mo thacaíocht a thabhairt don leasú tábhachtach seo ó na Teachtaí Kerrane agus Martin Browne. To respond to the previous comments made, Deputy Ó Snodaigh said nobody had any problem with An Garda Síochána or Córas Iompair Éireann over the years. I presume he meant just the title.

Very good. On the matter of indulgences - I am hoping not to turn you into a medieval pope, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, given the number you are giving out tonight - I wish to respond to my constituency colleague. I also declare that I am a farmer, as I did on the previous night. I am a beef finisher. I wish the Deputy every success as an organic farmer. I envy him because I would very much like to be an organic farmer, but whatever slim chance there might be of being paid above the cost of production for producing fo…

I commend the Minister on indicating he will accept the amendment. It is of considerable importance that the Bill, as previously drafted, has been beefed up somewhat, if he will pardon the pun. The Bill states the regulator shall "collect, analyse and regularly publish reports" and the amendment adds to section 12(3), under the line "In pursuance of its duties under this section the regulator may, in particular," the function that "the regulator shall be authorised to seek from businesses within the agri-food suppl…