Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Ms Tacon. I thank her for taking the time to present to the committee and giving us the benefit of her experience derived from her role in the UK. I attended the presentation made by Ms Tacon about 18 months or two years ago to the conference of the Irish Farmers Association, IFA, as did other committee members. There has been change since then at European Union level concerning the unfair trading practices directive. I am interested in hearing Ms Tacon's perspective, in the context of her post as the UK's Groceries Code Adjudicator, on the strength of the directive that is proposed will be introduced across the EU. It is driven by the European Commission. Is the UK code stronger than the EU regulations or are the latter stronger in some areas? What are the key differences and similarities? On the implementation of the UK code and Ms Tacon's experience, are there any key lessons we might learn?

Our Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, CCPC, has a role in adjudicating between suppliers. When the committee met representatives of the CCPC, members argued that the CCPC's role of enhancing competition from a consumer perspective sometimes conflicts with its role in adjudicating on fairness in the supply chain. I would like to hear about the role and experience of the UK Groceries Adjudication Office in this regard compared with that of the CCPC here. Is there any crossover between the roles of the two bodies?

We have had a significant issue here, and I know this is also an issue in the UK, regarding the role of primary producers and trying to ensure fairness for them. That is particularly the case in the beef sector where there is a need for fairness in the relationship between farmers, as primary producers, and processors. Beyond the processors then are the retailers. That is not the particular space in which Ms Tacon and her organisation work, but I would be interested in her perspective concerning a role for an adjudicator in ensuring that there is fairness and transparency in the relationship between primary producers and processors, as well as onwards to retailers. Are there any lessons we might learn in that regard? I know there are similar issues with the beef sector in the UK where farmers do not believe there is transparency as regards the share of the beef price they receive compared with the share taken by other parties in the supply chain. Has that been considered by Ms Tacon's office or has it been considered at government level in the UK? Have representatives of farmers' organisations in the UK been active on this issue? Could an office such as Ms Tacon's fulfil such a role in this area by expanding its remit?