Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 27 September 2016

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Brexit: Discussion with Mushroom Industry

5:00 pm

Mr. Ronnie Wilson:

I will mention another possibility that would be very supportive of the industry but cost very little. The industry requires flexibility in respect of its labour. We work many unsocial hours. If would be advantageous if it could be possible for us to have a permit scheme to bring in harvesters from non-EU countries and eastern Europe. At present, one or two of the growers that have stopped working have done so because of the currency issue. However, labour difficulties have also been an element in that decision.