Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 3 November 2015

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Dairy Industry: Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association and Macra na Feirme

2:00 pm

Photo of Mary Ann O'BrienMary Ann O'Brien (Independent)
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With regard to TTIP, I would like further commentary on the concern that a fear of upsetting multinationals is weakening our national position on this.

I am very pleased to hear the witnesses' opinion on genetically modified crops. I join with them on it because we would be certifiable if we did not stand strong on this. As I said earlier this afternoon, we are small and special. We are the only country in the world that is green in a satellite picture. We can be different from the rest of the world. We should never think big; we should think big among ourselves, but we are only a spot in the world, although we are extremely special, and we must always think together about how to add value to what we grow and raise.