Ned O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)

I understand the plant in Shillelagh is full of imported bacon products, yet the packaging refers to Bord Bia. I am paying a levy to Bord Bia. Am I paying it to import products? Farmers are on their knees and the Rip Van Winkle attitude to agriculture in Ireland must change. Subscribers to the Féile Bia issue provide customers with the following information:

Thank you for dining at this restaurant. We are committed to the Féile Bia charter, and use products from recognised Quality Assurance Schemes. Féile Bia — a celebration of quality food. Please call again.

However, this does not state where the products come from. I did call again but I probably did not stay.

The own-label phenomenon in every shop is a new con job. It does not mean a thing to me or to the vast majority of housewives. We now have many supermarket chains, including Lidl, Aldi and Tesco, all of which are looking for a market share. Walmart is the largest in the world. It is about time the European Union had a directive pertaining to the own-label phenomenon. There is no point in the Minister of State smiling up at me — he should take this issue more seriously because he is in charge.

I could start up a consumer food business, get a grant from Enterprise Ireland and obtain all the foods from abroad regardless of the existence of Irish farmers and producers. Every country has its own patriotic sentiments. We are importing while the Danes are exporting and therefore there is a problem. Irish farmers are paying Bord Bia levies. For what? It is about time the farmers and the IFA examined where our levies are going. I am a substantial payer of levies to Bord Bia. Let us be straight about the fact that this cannot continue. I am telling the truth about this.

The food industry is worth between €6 billion and €10 billion. I do not know exactly because it is hard to quantify on the basis of its many different elements, but it is a significant industry in the country. For what are farmers paying statutory levies? Is it so that advantage can be taken of them?

Farmers are being treated like peasants. I am a farmer and I know what is happening. What will happen in the future? We will have no sugar beet industry, no pig industry and no chicken industry — this is nearly gone anyway — and we will have a few ranch or dairy farmers. We are proud of this and boast about it in the mid-term review. We think it is great that the country is regressing to the time of the Firbolg and Tuatha Dé Danann. It is about time someone stood up for Irish farmers and Irish agriculture.

The Minister is responsible for Bord Bia. I do not know whether he receives delegations from Bord Bia or whether his officials get in touch with the board. I am not finding fault with the officials. Some of the finest officials in Ireland — practically all of them — work in the Department of Agriculture and Food. I was very proud to work with them and they are as bright a people as one will find in any part of the land. The board of Bord Bia is predominantly represented by big business interests. It should have a consumer chairman, preferably a woman. The ex-Secretary General of the Department of Agriculture and Food is on Bord Bia and on the board of Kerry Foods. That is an unethical contradiction that should be corrected. There is work to be done. The problem is that we have no agricultural debates in this House of the kind we used to have, where we can express our views. Agriculture is part of rural Ireland and in the early years of the State it dominated debate here.

I was surprised to read Tony O'Reilly's views on globalisation in yesterday's Irish Independent which states:

Against that backdrop, Sir Anthony O'Reilly's call for a serious rethink and slowdown of the globalisation process takes on a fresh urgency. Yet there is an even more immediate competitiveness challenge which, in its own way, fits into the debate about globalisation and its threats.

I may have taken that out of context. I am proud that we are in the European Union and I have always supported the Union but farmers are not getting their fair share of benefits from it. We are not protecting ourselves. It is a two-speed Europe, whether we like it or not. Mr. John Hume, MEP expressed that sentiment in the Seanad last Wednesday when he said that three or four countries will decide the future of Europe: Britain under Tony Blair, who is the new Maggie Thatcher, and whoever succeeds him; France under Jacques Chirac, a very influential and able man; Germany and Gerhard Schroeder who is clinging to his leadership there, and Italy will probably get involved. They will decide our future. When a committed European like Mr. John Hume expresses that view we should heed his message.

The Taoiseach will preside over the greatest enlargement of the Community since its foundation. We are not protecting ourselves from the problem posed by the Pacific Rim. We do not need to import from those countries who do not have legislation to protect their industry. They have standards which are not enshrined in law. Can the Minister of State devote five minutes to explaining why we cannot have the country of origin marked on our products? Is it because Kepak wants to mix its beef with French or Scottish beef or Goodman wants to do something else? We have had enough of that behaviour. Let us put the country of origin on our products and protect the farmer-producer and consumer. The country of origin is the secret to saving our food industry and protecting our farmers from exploitation. I have another packet of rashers, Galtee, which does not carry any reference to Bord Bia because the company imports so much.

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