Dáil debates

Thursday, 31 March 2022

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions

Regulatory Bodies

10:30 am

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I do not accept at all that my position has been minimal. This is a landmark move and landmark legislation establishing this office. It is something to which I was committed throughout my time in opposition and I ensured it was included in the programme for Government. I outlined to the public at the most recent general election my commitment to deliver this if I got into government. It was not a commitment in Sinn Féin's manifesto at that election. In some of its annual submissions, Sinn Féin has supported it, and in others, it has not.

I welcome the Deputy's support for this measure and I agree it is important this office has teeth and is effective. That is why I have engaged very broadly with all stakeholders up to this point and conducted a very significant public consultation so everybody could feed into it, including the Deputy himself as an Opposition spokesperson, and all farmers, primary producers and stakeholders in the agrifood sector. It is important we step this out. The final drafting is taking place and I hope to bring the Bill to the Dáil as soon as possible following that. The team is working on it at the moment and a lot of work is already going into it. We will proceed with establishing the office and recruiting staff and I hope to have it up and running and effective by the end of this year.

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