Ms Darina Allen:

I have to agree with a lot of what the Deputy has said. I wish to make it clear, and I believe I can speak for everybody, that there is no way we are against trade. We have a wonderful record with the EU of very high standards in regulation and so on, although I might disagree with the severity of some of it. However, what is really being proposed is that we dumb down our regulations in many different areas - not just in the area of food and labour laws - to coincide with US regulations, which in many ways are less stringent.

We argue against the dumbing down of regulations.

Ireland exports much of its beef and dairy and Europe has higher standards. Basically, Irish producers would have to compete with US farmers and food producers who produce food of a much lower standard than ours. It would be extraordinarily difficult for Irish agriculture to compete with the US in terms of economy of scale and price.

I am grateful for being credited with making Ballymaloe relish but I do not make it, which I think is what was referred to. It is my sister-in-law who makes Ballymaloe relish. We are a big family. I can confirm that the relish is for sale in the US and that it has gone through all of the various things without difficulty.