John Dardis (Progressive Democrats)

This is a serious issue.

I strongly support Senator O'Toole's comments on the issue of farm gate prices. The corporate food industry has got the EU by the scruff of the neck to ensure people who produce wholesome, natural food on farms and try to sell it in their local communities should be prevented from doing so. That trend has been consistent over a number of years. As a member of the sub-committee on European scrutiny, I was pleased regulations were introduced recently regarding the sale of eggs to permit small producers to sell eggs in their local market. Up to now, unless they had access to a large packhouse, they could not do so and they were excluded from the local market. This issue should gain our attention.

I visited the west last weekend and I hope all the Members who seek a debate on the tourism industry in the west will do the same. However, the strawberries in the Spar supermarket in Moycullen, County Galway, were from Holland. It had no Irish strawberries, which is terrible.