Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 22 March 2023

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Strategic Direction of Bord Bia: Discussion

Mr. Jim O'Toole:

I thank the Deputy for his kind remarks. On that point he raised, it is important to recognise that there is an important event in June in Dublin called Bloom, which is around horticulture but also around food. Approximately 100 companies, many of which are smaller, use that opportunity to try new products and develop sales and it is a good platform for some of the smaller, younger companies to cut their teeth, to use that phrase, and develop an understanding of consumer demand, which helps them to grow. We fully understand the Deputy's request and will try to accommodate it as best we can.