Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am committed to bringing much-needed transparency to the food sector. The Deputy will be aware the programme for Government includes a commitment for a new office of a national food ombudsman or equivalent to enforce the unfair trading practices, UTP, directive and to have a role in analysing and reporting on price and market data in Ireland. The establishment of such an office requires primary legislation, which we are progressing.

The Deputy may also be aware that Directive 2019/633 on unfair trading practices in the agricultural and food supply chain, which involves, as the Deputy noted, the establishment of an enforcement authority, was required to be transposed into national law by 1 May 2021. I am happy to advise him that in April this year, before that deadline, I signed a statutory instrument to transpose the directive directly into Irish law and establish the enforcement authority.

I have established a UTP enforcement authority in my Department as an interim measure pending the finalisation of the primary legislation being prepared to establish the new office. However, I assure the Deputy the enforcement authority has been assigned all of the necessary legal powers to investigate complaints from suppliers, including primary producers, to carry out investigations on its own initiative and to initiate legal proceedings for breaches of the UTPs defined in the directive. The authority is undertaking an awareness-raising campaign on the UTP regulations and is engaging with relevant stakeholders in the agricultural and food products supply chain.

With regard to the establishment of the new office of food ombudsman or regulator, preparations for the general scheme of the Bill for the primary legislation are well advanced, and I hope to bring a memo to the Government on the issue early in the new year. Once the primary legislation has been finalised and the new office established, the enforcement authority functions will transfer to it in line with the programme for Government commitments. In the meantime, it is open to suppliers to engage with the enforcement authority on any concerns they may have in regard to unfair trading practices.

Increasing transparency throughout the supply chain is something I believe is very important. The new office will have a specific role in analysing and reporting on price and market data in Ireland, including, importantly, for the meat sector.

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