Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chair. How does one follow that? I thank the witnesses for their opening statements, which we have read. We are all conscious that the grain industry in the country is in crisis and has been for quite some time. There is a need for the Government to put in place a package to support the grain industry. We also need to ensure that we can develop that industry and make it sustainable. We need to examine how innovation and other things can help. I have a few questions around that.

The witnesses mentioned that 5 million tonnes of feed grain are being imported and 1.5 million tonnes are produced in Ireland. That brings me to a question related to what Deputy Cleere said. We have Irish whiskey, beers and other produce, yet a major portion of the raw materials going into those products is imported grain. Is there a need for some kind of system to be put in place whereby in order to label something as an Irish product it has to have a minimum input of a certain amount of Irish raw material? Would that assist in bringing us closer to ensuring that we get a better price into the future? That is one major issue.

I know there are contracts in place. That is another element. In many areas of farming, people ask whether contracts are one solution. Contracts are in place for grain farmers in many cases, but they do not seem to be a solution. I would like to hear the comments of the witnesses in respect of that.