John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Yes. We have been speaking to a number of people since that suggestion was accepted. The area on which we want the forum to focus and concentrate is the trade element. We think it deserves it, considering that the dairy industry has been locked in a box to a certain extent for the past 30 years and we think that the Government should react accordingly. Every agency and Department within Government should take a hand in that. We have met the head of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and we would like its involvement in the forum but also some kind of nexus between our missions or industries aboard - specific ones where we think there is potential when it comes to exports of milk and milk ingredients. I was in Vietnam recently and it was an eye opener to learn that the market there is worth US$6 billion every year but we have pretty much got nothing there. The idea has been accepted by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade that its involvement would be useful. It was heading in that direction to a certain extent. There would also be a reporting requirement from those missions back to the forum on a regular basis so that they can inform the forum and, by extension, the industry, of their capacity and capability when it comes to helping anyone from private industry who might want to get involved in a foreign market.

My own belief is that within ten to 15 years, the Chinese will probably sort themselves out to a certain extent and they will not be as reliant as they are on foreign milk products because they will effectively build up capacity in their own industry. There is an issue in south east Asia but we have real capacity and capability in Africa based on our 50 years' experience, particularly in sub-Saharan and southern Africa. I believe that using this forum, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade really needs to capitalise on that. The taxpayer should expect Government to react accordingly now that quotas are over and because it means such a massive amount to the rural economy around the country.