Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of people who work in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, who do their jobs fairly right across the country. I am talking about the propensity for people at the very top of the Department to find their way into top jobs with the processors and dairy co-ops in the sector they had previously regulated. I believe that is a problem. I do not believe it applies to all members of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

The Minister said that saying it does not make it so, but the Minister says this will bring transparency to the food sector. Saying it does not make so. Show me any place in this Bill that requires the regulator to provide information. Yes, if the Sinn Féin amendment that the Minister has proposed to amend is accepted, the regulator may seek the information. Will the Minister show me the place in the Bill that requires the regulator to provide that information if and when it is sought? Please do so.

The Minister constantly speaks about Members coming in at the end of the Bill, but that is what Report Stage is for. That is why we have a legislative process. That is why we do not just have a general chat at the very beginning and say, "Sure it is all grand now and we can all go home". The Minister spoke about having engaged with the farm bodies. It is implicit from what the Minister says that they are all happy with this Bill. However, I have spoken with many of them. I have spoken to the Independent Farmers' Association, the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association, ISCA, the Irish Farmers' Association, IFA, and the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, ICMSA, this week, and none of them is satisfied that the Bill has sufficient powers to bring about the transparency the Minister says he wants for his regulator to succeed. I believe there is somebody who is already lined up. I wish that person the best of luck, as I am sure the Minister does, too. If he wants the regularor to succeed, however, he should give that person the powers to succeed and do not put him or her on a pedestal to fail without the powers necessary to require retailers and processors to outline the prices they are being paid. Only then will we know who is making the money. A lot of money is being made, but we do not know who is making it.

There is this retail forum. I will make a prediction that we will see a reduction in what farmers will get, but there will be no reduction in what international corporations will get for their food products. Once again, farmers will take a hammering for a general problem in the retail sector, namely, that we have no idea who is making the money.

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