Ned O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)

The Deputy would love to be over here where I am. He has tried hard and failed.

The food industry is a key sector here in terms of employment and trade. More than 210,000 people are employed in the production, distribution and sale of food. A total of 65,000 are employed in the retail grocery trade. The Minister of State's heart is in what we are doing because he comes from the same background as myself. He has inherited this legislation. The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment was successful in the Departments of Education and Science and Health and Children and we are reaping the fruits of his work in the latter Department with his successor implementing his policies.

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