Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I commend Deputy Richmond for asking this question. On his final point, I agree we did not utilise the EU market outside Britain sufficiently. There is scope for growth in the EU market. This must be based on a premiumisation model whereby we compete based on the quality and sustainability of our food rather than on price or the quantity exported. We cannot win a race to the bottom but we can win a race to having top-quality, sustainable food produced a relatively short distance from where we can have the biggest impact. Crucially, we need to ensure that, when we find and open new markets, the people who benefit will be our primary producers. It is all for naught if it just results in our processors the big retailers securing more profit, which has happened in the past.

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