Michelle Mulherin (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On 9 May, which was Europe Day, a joint sitting of this committee and the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine held an interesting debate. Dr. Sinéad McCarthy from Teagasc appeared before us. We considered the questions of food and carbon emissions from our beef industry. One issue that arose related to how most of the plant-based protein foods that we might rely on as alternatives to meat were imported. This was striking. None of those foods that one buys from Tesco or some other shops is made in Ireland. My understanding is that our soil and climate are not best suited to the types of crop in question. Such crops would have to be imported. If they are coming from the tropics, then we are talking about developing countries that face their own food shortage challenges and about the carbon footprint of bringing the food to Ireland.

Dr. McCarthy expanded on the notions that we were best placed to get our protein from meat and dairy as opposed to beans and other plant-based protein crops, given that our cattle were grass fed, and that, as one got older, one would have to eat more beans to meet one's protein requirements compared with meat. Perhaps these are not matters that the council has considered, but they need further discussion. The issue of food is emotive and the debate has not been expanded upon enough. The debate has been slanted by people who have not looked into it enough, and while there is a bigger discussion in the round, beef is getting a bashing. At the end of the day, though, we have to eat food. There are many dimensions to this issue.