Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

I voiced my support during the debate for a policy of taking the meat industry into public ownership. We know the Minister is not going to agree with that. I want to ask him about the Government's policy of providing State assistance to the beef industry in the event of a major crisis flowing from Brexit. Does he believe there would need to be guarantees from the industry on the defence of all jobs before money would be handed over? Is he in favour of handing over the money in the hope that the industry preserves the jobs? Are there conditions attaching such that there would be no wage cuts or job losses in order for money to be handed over? It is not the policy I support; I support taking the industry into public ownership. However, I am asking the Minister a specific question about the Government's policy on handing over that money.

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