Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

We have had discussions such as this previously and undoubtedly we will have them again. Much of the non-Irish produce coming into Ireland was going to catering. It is important to make a fresh start, which this is. The emphasis is on the new campaign, Just Ask, by which the public is mandated to establish where food comes from and who produces it. Restaurants are being urged to provide that information so people will not have to ask as many questions. It is important to point out that Bord Bia does not promote non-Irish produce, and the suggestion that the organisation might apply its funding to promoting products from outside Ireland carrying an Irish label is false. It is equally important to note that Bord Bia does not, nor is it required to, promote products from any other origin. Suggestions of that nature are misleading to consumers, as they have been in the media, and are extremely damaging to an industry that has come under enormous pressure in a difficult marketing environment. Bord Bia is about promoting Irish produce.

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