Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Following on from Deputy McConalogue's earlier questions on aquaculture licensing, I receive regular feedback of considerable frustration around the length of time it takes to make decisions on these matters. Are there resource issues within the Department? The Minister has just talked about trade delegations, planning two and three year budgets and looking at new market opportunities. Companies ask how they can do that if they have to wait long periods of time for decisions on licenses. What is the Minister's response on that?

A lot of the other questions I had have been covered, but I want to get a sense from the Minister of his views on the following. He will be aware that we had the farming organisations before the committee two weeks ago. Every one of them raised the issue of prices. It is an issue today, including in the grain sector. What is the Government's strategy to address the crisis across all sectors in the prices they are being paid for their produce as opposed to what consumers pay? This is clearly the biggest issue and has been for many years. What is the plan at State and European level to address it?