Susan O'Keeffe (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank both witnesses for the presentation. Mr. Cunningham said that Strathroy products can be found throughout Ireland. Does Strathroy also supply own-brand products? Obviously in such circumstances consumers would not see the Strathroy label. Is that the reason Mr. Cunningham is saying we cannot see the Strathroy label?

The National Dairy Council is financed by private industry. It has been in existence since 1964 and was set up long before the sort of co-operation we would expect now and also before the advent of EU legislation on discriminatory practice. In all the quotes Mr. Cunningham provided, I do not see any from the NDC. What relationship does Strathroy have with the NDC and what conversations has Mr. Cunningham had with the NDC? I must conclude that the witnesses are here because they are unable to make any progress with the NDC. Will Mr. Cunningham to elaborate on what has happened with the NDC?

The NDC is not a Government or semi-State organisation. It is entitled to include the word "national" in its title because it has been around since 1964. When it was established it would have been a national dairy council - exactly what it said on the tin. I am not sure we can level any criticism at it for using the term "national" - many organisations do so. Given what was going on at the time and now, it is not a crime, as far as I know, to use that term. I have never been confused by its identity as being anything other than a privately financed industry organisation.

I will cut to the chase. Strathroy has been in business for a long time and is very successful. It has a very good product. As it has been in business for 150 years, that is an extremely sound reputation. Do the witnesses feel others in the industry here are effectively protecting themselves and making it clear they do not want Strathroy as part of their club, because if it is part of their club, it may take their business, including that of Glanbia and others? Is that at the heart of this? Do the witnesses feel those companies are protecting themselves and Strathroy has been cut out, thereby preventing it from expanding its business?

I do not deny the huge confusion over the various marks. Mr. Cunningham mentioned Barry's tea. Everybody knows Barry's tea is packaged in Cork and has been around for a very long time. Nobody disputes that the tea itself, obviously, did not come from here. Those labels have been in existence for a long time and they have different meanings. We have raised the issue here and elsewhere that there is extraordinary confusion for consumers because those marks do not mean what they appear to mean. Is there another trade group mark that Strathroy can use either in the UK or in Northern Ireland? What is it about the National Dairy Council mark that is so precious, apart from the obvious reasons Mr. Cunningham has stated about the quality of Ireland's food, Irish milk and so on, which I do not denigrate in any way? Does Strathroy feel it is being pushed out and that it would like to take a greater share of that business?