Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)

Having observed the appropriate recipe for securing a Dáil debate, I hope I do not have to embark on the same route. The food and drinks industry report published earlier this week highlighted, among other issues, that 2,000 jobs have been lost in the food industry so far this year. Yesterday, the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Food heard a prediction that as many as 140,000 jobs could be lost in the sector in the next two years. Allied to this, we have a crisis at the farm gate in many sectors, particularly the dairy industry. Will the Government make available time before the Dáil rises for the summer recess to hold a debate on the crisis in the agrifood industry?

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