Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their presentation. In a year that Minch Malt does not get the protein that was mentioned, does it hold its Origin Green status? In the line of price, the witnesses mentioned meeting the IFA. Do the brewers and distillers and everyone come together then? At the end of the day, Minch Malt is meeting one party that it is buying something from. The farmer is a price taker.

The witnesses have spoken about the moisture. They spoke about it costing more in other countries and that it costs more to ship it here. Why does Minch Malt not do a five year term? This committee has examined adding one or two cents to the price of a pint. This would bring a farmer up to a good standard of living.

As Senator Daly rightly pointed out, is it not a damnable thing to say that if a farmer had an acre of trees in forestry he would get more out of the grant for them, including the single farm payment, than he would to grow what Minch Malt want grown as a commodity for Irish people.