Michael D'Arcy (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I apologise for missing the presentations. I was raising a Topical Issue in the Dáil.

The starting point in respect of Brexit is holding on to as much shelf space as we can and adding as much value as we can to our product. We must ensure we will lose as little as possible in terms of the potential for damage to our market as it is too difficult to pick up a greater share in these markets. Bord Bia has expressed a hope we will achieve growth in other markets. We export more to the United Kingdom than to all other markets combined. The United Kingdom takes more than 50% of our agricultural produce.

As I stated in an earlier exchange with Mr. Power, Ireland has top class agricultural products. Are the farming organisations aware of any analysis that has been made of Irish brands that have substantial shelf space in the supermarkets and multiples in the United Kingdom? If so, I ask them to pass on the information available to them. If not, are they aware of any marketing plan in place to try to ensure we will hold on to as much shelf space as possible?