John Gerard Hanafin (Fianna Fail)

I share the views of some previous speakers, in particular on supermarkets with a large and growing share of the market not stocking Irish and local products. I am thinking of the two German discounters who give very good value. As an ordinary consumer, I must leave the shop and go elsewhere to buy milk locally. I would like to buy milk from Thurles but it is not available there. Only one type of milk is available and it is not sourced in the Republic of Ireland. If the supermarket sources local products, even if it is more expensive, I will buy it there. I want to know what the supermarkets are doing to support essential local commodities. The dairy industry is going through a crisis and we must support local industry.

I refer to the IMF support for the National Asset Management Agency, NAMA, model. Although the Opposition insists on taking the worst point of the recession, ground zero, and saying that this will not work, the IMF has now given its imprimatur to NAMA.