Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Kerrane’s final point has been considered in great detail right throughout the process. We started with the consultation, then pre-legislative scrutiny and Committee Stage, which many Deputies participated in. I met with key stakeholders who made a submission to me which was fully considered. It made 20 recommendations, 18 of which were either wholly or substantially accepted and were incorporated by myself into the Bill. This has been very significantly considered. The Bill will be historic because it will be the first time in the history of the State that there will be a legal, statutory, independent food regulator to bring transparency to the food supply chain. That is the objective behind the Bill. The powers behind the Bill are very strong in the capacity to gather information and for the capacity of the Minister to instruct the regulator to gather any information he or she requires as the office evolves or for the regulator to decide to do that. What I do not want to happen is that we would set up something that has massive resources and that ends up doing things that do not necessarily impact or directly benefit farmers or that does not put those resources where they will ensure to the greatest extent that farmers get fair play or that does not attack the issues that are most pertinent when it comes to making sure farmers get a fair income for the work they are doing.

The legislation has undergone a comprehensive assessment and I am absolutely confident that it will ensure the office can carry out that function and that the capacity is there for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to ensure that, in cases where it needs to be adjusted, he has the power to be able to do that.

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