Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Today's presentation is another example of the challenges thrown up by Brexit. Every presentation we have had has thrown up a new area which we had not been thinking about and this is extremely challenging as we still do not know if we will have a hard deal, a soft deal or no deal. I do not envy anybody trying to work in that environment.

We have a long way to go in respect of the labelling of food and the witnesses seem to be suggesting that it could become even more problematic now. Are we, or is Northern Ireland, going to be more exposed to genetically modified foods? In what areas do the 30 staff of safefood work? Can the witnesses give me some detail on the health promotion it has been involved in throughout the island of Ireland? What does it do in the area of the environment? I was at a presentation in the audiovisual room yesterday to which the Green Party had invited a number of environmental activists from the Six Counties. It was frightening to hear some of the things they said about the River Faughan and things like applications for a pig farm which, in the absence of the Executive, are not being dealt with. There are some alarming developments, such as the arrival of a Canadian gold mining company, which could have an impact on the environment and, indeed, on food production.