Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)

The recent Irish Country Living feature on Talamh Beo's Gorse Farm and Hinterland highlights what food security should mean in Ireland, namely farmers and communities working together to grow healthy, local food and keeping value in the local economy. These groups are doing that with little or no Government support. They call for exactly what is missing, which is a joined-up national food security strategy that supports local production, tackles food poverty and builds resilience within the system. We cannot keep relying on imported food or cheap prices that come at a high social and environmental cost. Will the Minister commit to backing these communities and ensuring that food policy in Ireland starts putting people and the planet first?

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