John Ellis (Fianna Fail)

That industry is up to scratch in practically every sense of the term. The problem was not caused by the food. Rather, it was caused by the process through which products were dried for use as animal feed.

Two or three questions must be pursued vigorously. Why is a recycled oil that is banned in other countries allowed for use in Irish industry? Derogation was sought, but I hope the Minister of State and the Department will discover who was the culprit behind the supply of substandard oil. The oil's usage is a knock-on effect of everyday events in food production. Multinationals have taken control of the entire food industry and are forcing people to produce food at uneconomical rates. This is the problem. If people are unprepared to pay producers realistic prices, the latter will not be able to produce. The knock-on effects cross the board. We have been told that the oil was at a reduced price because it was not up to scratch. According to my information, some of it should have been destroyed by incineration, not used. This situation must be examined.

Farmers purchased feed in good faith because it was cheaper than anything else available. Their margins are being so squeezed by the multinationals, the largest food sellers across Europe, that they are unable to produce at a realistic price. Until we decide that farmers should be paid properly, we will continue to encounter such problems. Costs and corners are being cut, the net result of which equates to people being forced into the actions taken. Multinationals are taking frightening margins and farmers must realise that, unless everyone involved takes a stand, nothing will be done. Consumers must stand with farmers and make it clear that multinationals will not be allowed to take criminal margins. Considering the prices paid to primary producers vis-À-vis what housewives pay in shops, the margins are phenomenal.