Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We would like to think that Ireland has a reputation for producing really good potatoes and so on, which we do, but we import about 80,000 tonnes of potatoes from the UK. We primarily buy varieties that do not grow very well here, what are called ware potatoes, which are very good for chips because of their sugar content. We have not traditionally grown them here and we are potentially going to have to find alternative sources. The other thing is that almost our entire stock of seed potatoes, which is, of course, hugely important for our entire industry, is imported from Scotland each year. We may have to restructure our potato sector if we cannot get a negotiated agreement around sourcing from the UK.