Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Our guests are welcome. I have a great interest in this area. Coming here this evening in the hope of getting a few questions in, I asked myself what the response would be like. Actually, the group is quite enthusiastic. I firmly believe that unless we take this by the scruff of the neck, the business will be gone.

How many of our guests have eaten an Irish tomato this year? What would they say about the flavour of an Irish tomato in comparison with a Spanish, Dutch or Moroccan tomato? To me, it is way ahead. There is absolutely no flavour to be had from the imported ones I have mentioned, yet the Irish ones cannot be got in the supermarkets. I am aware that the supermarkets will say they cannot supply the Irish ones the whole year round, but the reality, based on the figures, is that the tomato business in this country has virtually collapsed. Only 10 ha of ground is devoted to tomato growing this year. It has never been so low. What I am trying to get at is that while we hear so much about sustainability and import substitution and are told to be very good about the environment, I cannot understand why we are not pumping millions of euro into subsidising Irish horticultural businesses. It makes perfect sense. Every time a plane or ship comes here to unload fruit, it is not good for the environment. Would it not make perfect sense to do as I say? The big problem with many of the growers is that they do not have the money. Growing just does not benefit them anymore; that is the reality. There was a fantastic tomato business in north County Dublin, for example, and there were also such businesses in other parts of the country.

How many of the guests have eaten an Irish apple this year?