Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the Minister of State on that work. Agrifood is a very significant part of our export economy and our national economy. It has developed and it is great to see the momentum. It is clear from the Department and from listening to the Minister's and the Minister of State's responses today how much emphasis there is for dairy and beef, which is appropriate, but I might also flag the innovation-led businesses that are not on that side, such as in dry goods and other products. I am thinking of early start-ups in my constituency such as Homespun Foods and others that are purely innovation led. They draw from global sources and really need the help of State agencies to access emerging markets in the same way as dairy and beef producers. There are extraordinary food producers of all different types in Ireland and we have an extraordinary reputation for the quality of the food we produce, which we do in a clever and sustainable way. Support to enable those small producers to access newer and larger markets, particularly as we face into these difficult weeks and the difficulty of next year, would be so welcome.

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