Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I endorse everything Senator Mary Ann O'Brien said. I am familiar with the outstandingly impressive work done by Bord Bia. I am curious about the new players in the Irish market and the engagement Bord Bia has had with them. I refer, for example, to Aldi and Lidl. What has Bord Bia done to encourage them to increase the number of Irish food products on sale in their stores? I would pose a similar question to Tesco, the dominant player in the market.

In the context of the promotional film we have been shown, it is obvious that the type of thing to which Mr. Cotter refers is not advertised on television. I accept that television advertising is extremely expensive. Newspaper reports indicate that small artisan food producers seem to be able to have their products stocked in the unlikeliest of places, for example, in stores such as Harrods of London, etc. Is it part of Bord Bia's work to assist such producers in this regard? At the weekend it was reported that a company in Sligo was selling Irish seaweed products into China. These may be cosmetics, but I am pretty sure they are food products.

Mr. Cotter referred to the position globally. There has been a great deal of discussion in recent weeks about weather patterns and how they may affect food prices. Is this a positive or a negative for the consumer? Mr. Cotter seems to suggest the volatility in weather patterns has led to an increase in food prices and that this is a good development.