Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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If the State was seeking to avoid the emergence of monopolies or protect against the risk of being held to ransom in respect of information, one could see its point. However, that is not the case, given that the database would be a national one and the companies before us provided guarantees on data sharing. The Department has stated it is not in the best interests of the agricultural sector to enter into any form of agreement. It is not in our interest when private companies are not leading innovation. If they are discouraged from doing so, no one will drive on information technology among farmers. How do other countries compare in terms of the level of State involvement over and beyond the national database? Mr. Lynch referred to the United Kingdom and New Zealand.