Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In order to have a healthy supply chain, it will be important that the office assesses the issues which are important to those in the supply chain. If there are issues which are creating distrust or seem to involve a lack of clarity and transparency, the office should asses that. It will also have the capacity to develop codes of practices and engage with and make reports at all levels of the supply chain.

Part of the challenge I have seen over the past while is that in the absence of having an independent and creditable entity that can do that, it is very difficult to bring that transparency forward in a way in which people will feel things are being done fairly and independently. For example, feedlots get a great deal of criticism, but the office could take them out of the equation and determine what would happen. Assessing that clearly and being able to examine the role they play, positive or otherwise, would be something which could be helpful. An office which is independent could report with credibility.