Joe Walsh (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)

In the principal Act, knowledge and experience of the food industry is a criterion. Section 14(5) states:

The chairman and the persons appointed to be ordinary members shall be persons having knowledge or experience of the food industry and of consumer requirements.

What we are doing here is adding horticulture to the new board so that there would be a board representative of the food industry with no fewer than two members being representatives of the horticulture industry. That is to give the full broad canvas to food and horticulture. To seek to delete the food industry is incomprehensible and I cannot understand the reason the amendment has been tabled. We want parity of esteem between members representative of the food and horticulture industries. For that reason the proposed amendment is not acceptable.