Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I assure the Deputy that the objective of this PGI is to try to improve the lot of farmers and to ensure that we market, develop and make the most of the tremendous product we have, and that we can help to sell that message to consumers through the PGI. We aim not only to increase the volume that we sell but also the value of what we sell. We should ensure that it is followed through on with marketing afterwards. The key objective of the national food ombudsman, which contributes to the point the Deputy has made, is to bring transparency to the food supply chain, and especially to ensure there is always an eye on what is available on the international markets. The international markets determine the price that is available and we sell into those markets. We need to ensure our farmers get a price domestically that reflects the markets that processors are selling into. The intention would be that, through the national food ombudsman, we can ensure there is transparency and a fair deal for farmers.

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