Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

----and working with and putting transparency into the food supply chain to ensure there can be fair play, fair income and proper transparency throughout the food supply chain for farmers, putting a strong statutory office and regulator in place, with a team to be able to do that.

As the House will be aware, there is a challenge with regard to fertiliser, which was a very difficult issue last year because of the Ukrainian challenge. I responded as Minister by allocating a grants scheme of €1,000 for farmers to help with the cost of fertiliser. I have done that again this year, with another €1,000, which I prepaid last autumn. We now need to see what is happening in the international market arising from reductions in the price of fertiliser, which will, thankfully, be transferred to the market here. We have been seeing that but we need to see it fully put forward. That said, it is not directly related to the Bill.

To respond to Deputy McNamara, who asked about hello money, that is dealt with in the Bill, as are many other unfair trading practices. Importantly, the Bill gives power through regulation to the Minister to add to that in a way that is practicable in order that it can be effective. I hope power will be given, through the Dáil and thereafter the Seanad, to allow the Minister and the Government to be able to do that into the future, and that is what this is all about.

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