Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will speak to Part 1. I thank the Minister and his officials for being here and presenting the heads of the Bill. I too look forward to pre-legislative scrutiny. To follow on from the Minister's point, I hope and trust he will engage with us constructively on ways in which we can strengthen the Bill. I understand the Minister's sentiments when he says he wants to get this legislation through speedily. I would, however, point out that any delays up to this point were not the result of any actions on the part of the committee. The timeframe for the establishment of this body has been pushed back a number of times. The most important thing is to get this right because if done right, it could be an important and welcome development to ensure we have greater fairness in the food chain for our farmers.

I have some questions about Part 1. The Bill is explicit that it applies to business-to-business relationships. Can the new body ensure fairness for farmers without looking at the full length of the chain, rather than limiting the scope to just business-to-business? The Minister will know that in our submission to the public consultation process and in some of the correspondence we have received, notably from the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association, INHFA, there have been requests for the Department to consider transferring some or all of the functions of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, CCPC, in respect of food to the new office. Has the Minister given consideration to the transfer of functions from the CCPC to the new body?