Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the witnesses for attending and for their opening statement and submissions, which contained detailed and helpful information. I have a couple of questions for each group of witnesses. In their opening statement, the witnesses from Bord Bia mentioned grower exits and the reduction in the production area of certain crops. Do they have any more information? I am conscious that the point has been made repeatedly about the lack of research. Do they have any figures regarding those matters as referenced in their opening statement? They also referred to the importation of fruit and vegetables that we could grow here. It is clear from all the opening statements that we can and should be standing on our own two feet much more, when one thinks that 40 or 50 years ago, people only ate what they grew in their gardens. That was the standard and much of that has been lost. How much can be done about what we can grow here rather than importing it? We should always seek to grow anything we can here rather than importing it. Bord Bia's three-year promotional campaign is, of course, important. That is for both the domestic and UK markets. I wonder if it can be wider than that or is it just domestic and England?