Mary Ann O'Brien (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister's comment on the bloodstock industry and on Goffs, which raised €23 million from the sale of amazing yearlings, all Irish bred. The China Racing Club paid the top price of €1.7 million for a yearling bred by a Cork man who started with nothing and now owns the Alexander Hotel, the Davenport and a farm in County Kildare. The horse has come to be broken here in Ireland. It is excellent that the people in China want that amazingly valuable animal to be broken-in in Ireland. That is a great success story and I thank the Minister for supporting the industry.

I really welcome the Origin Green programme by Bord Bia in which I participate. It must continue to be supported in a great way. We deal with the multiples in America, Europe and Scandinavia, - we are off to Norway next week - but they will not deal with us in the future unless we have a visionary sustainable programme for our little food company. That applies to everybody in the food business.