Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I thank the Chair. The Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022 is being taken in the Dáil. It is not great timing that the two things are on together.

First, I welcome the witnesses. The war in Ukraine began last year. We heard straight away that certain things could not come out from Russia, including certain ingredients for making fertiliser. The war is still going on, but the price of fertiliser has come down. Have the witnesses got any inside information on what the reason is for that? Basically, everyone was hearing about the cost of oil, diesel, gas and everything going up but that the raw materials, to put it simply, were hard to get out of the certain places we needed them from, and in the volumes we needed. It seems to be case that they are able to get them from somewhere now.

The cost of gas, as they have pointed out, has come down. While we know that, from where did the raw materials that are making it less than half the price at present come out of?

By the way, I wish Mr. Keane luck. He noted it was his last meeting. He stated that he would look for the committee to investigate. I will be honest with him here. In the case of a farmer, Mr. Padraig Walshe of Kilkenny, God rest him, who was in here six or eight months ago or longer-----