Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

——to know that what they are eating is safe and that it is produced by Irish farmers. We do not want the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food placing all kinds of restrictions on farmers and business while allowing beef to be imported from Brazil where foot and mouth disease is prevalent. That is a disgrace and should not be allowed to happen. We should know that what we are eating is safe but instead we have one rule for Irish farmers and another for their Brazilian counterparts. Shame on the Government because farmers are sick and tired of being over-regulated. The most common complaint one hears from them is that they are over-regulated. Meanwhile, the Government will not regulate those it should be regulating.

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