Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Government has given tremendous funding to a microdistillery in Ballyduff to help it to get functioning and operating. The village in question has been decimated down through the years by the loss of its Garda barracks, many of its shops and its Glanbia branch. We are investing money in a centre that depends on tourism and on the purchasing ability of tourists who will not be given any indication of how to get to it.

I would like to ask the Minister about other Departments. I spoke earlier in my deliberations about trade delegations that go abroad. The Minister, Deputy Creed, who is responsible for food and beverages in this jurisdiction, regularly goes overseas with trade delegations. These people make deals abroad. When we meet purchasers in other countries, they often want to come back to the country where the product originated to see where the product they are purchasing is made and to go through the process. We will be sending one type of bottle abroad but when these delegations come into this jurisdiction, they will see bottles that are subject to our laws, which will provide that it must be stated that one should not buy drink because it is carcinogenic and bad for one's health. We will probably be saying the same thing outside our jurisdiction. That is a big concern. It is like talking out of two sides of one's mouth.

I think the Minister should be a bit lax on these proposals. The Irish Distillers visitor centre, which is a major tourism attraction in my constituency, has been mentioned already. Over 100,000 people visit the centre each year. We must maintain the advantage of marketing, which is done by signage and advertising. I think the Minister should be a bit more relaxed on this law because it will have a major impact on the growth of this industry.

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