Paul Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the representatives from the IGFA and Bord Bia and thank them for their submissions.

Last week, the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society, ICOS, brought to our attention the issue of milk which comes across the Border and leaves the island as an Irish product. It was highlighted last week that, under existing EU free trade arrangements, such products could be identified as a third country product which would have major implications for dairy exports. Is Bord Bia aware of this? Has it any work done on this area? Has it explored the different existing free trade agreements with which this could be an issue?

I was a bit taken aback when I read the IGFA's submission. While I was aware of the amount of feedstuff and grain coming into the country, I did not realise how much came from the UK. Has the IGFA looked at any contingency plans with regard to how we could turn this into a positive and produce or source any of these products ourselves if importation becomes an issue?

If it works out in our favour and the materials can still come in, there was much talk in previous sessions that, if this is seen on world markets as a bad deal for the UK, sterling might drop in value. While most of the organisations we have heard from are exporters to the UK, the IGFA is an importer. Could there be a positive there if sterling weakens? We all know the consequences of weak sterling for our exporters. Could there be a silver lining in the cloud in such a scenario?