Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

The Deputy will be aware that a mushroom task force met some years ago. It reported last year, and departmental officials and I have met it and stakeholders in the industry. They have been under particular pressures regarding products coming from eastern Europe, particularly to the British market, to which we predominantly exported. Those issues are being addressed, and very substantial progress has been made in implementing the recommendations of the mushroom task force. We are conscious of the challenges and opportunities that have arisen as a result of the expansion of the European Union to 25 states. It is not all challenges, since there are opportunities too.

See this speech in context