Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the delegation to discuss this important topic which affects the food industry. We all saw what happened with the horsemeat scandal, which was the tip of the iceberg and not the first time issues were raised about the ingredients going into final food products be they agriculture-based or any other food products on supermarket shelves.

What has come to the fore is that the legislation in Europe, and the State, are not strong enough to protect the consumer as well as the farming interest. The primary producer, the farmer, and the consumer must be protected because everyone would agree from what happened in the horsemeat scandal that the people in the middle, the major processors, the importers and the supermarkets, cannot be trusted. There was a breakdown in the process. They were given latitude but they were labelling product that clearly was not what it said on the tin. The consumer deserves to be protected and the only way that can be done is through a code of conduct, which must be backed up by regulations, to ensure the courts can adjudicate in instances where anomalies occur.

The UK legislation appears to be stringent, for example, an ingredient that is more than 2% of the product must be indicated on the label. We all know that is not the case here. We have products in all the multiples, even after the horsemeat scandal, that are labelled as Irish product yet there is a high percentage of non-Irish ingredients in them. It is a major issue, and it is affecting Irish agriculture. There is only one way to deal with it and that is through primary legislation here. I would be fully supportive of that because it will protect the primary producer but also the consumer. The farmers want to make sure the consumer is protected because ultimately they will gain from it also.

The independent supermarket ombudsman is a very good proposal. I would go further, and Mr. Bryan might have included this in his proposal, and allow the consumer make submissions to the ombudsman as can be done with the Ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly, to whom consumers who have a gripe with a supermarket can make a complaint directly. A period of time should be given for an adjudication to be heard, and statutory powers should be given to the ombudsman also.

This is a matter that should be considered by the relevant Minister, be it under the remit of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation or the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. It probably is a mixture of both. As for what is happening in the United Kingdom, while I have examined the legislation in place there, does Mr. Bryan believe it is working on the ground? On the face of it, having read the legislation, it appears to at least be protecting the interests of consumers and farmers. While I could touch on many other issues today, I note the fodder shortage has been mentioned, I will keep to the agenda.