Denis Landy (Labour)

I, too, commend the Minister for his work to date. I was awestruck by his knowledge of his brief and ability to relay statistics to us.

I support Senator Darragh O'Brien on the issue of horticulture. I come from south Tipperary, but literally in the next parish is Iverk Produce, probably the biggest vegetable producer in the country. I know from talking to many of the staff that they are extremely concerned about the Teagasc research centre, to which the Senator referred to. The company is at the cutting edge of fruit and vegetable production, particularly vegetable production. We need a centre such as the Teagasc centre which is carrying out dynamic research. I ask the Minister to consider this issue seriously.

Every one of us is concerned and dismayed when we see the coverage on national television of fish being returned to the sea in the interests of preserving fish stocks. It is ironic. I know the Minister is doing some work on this issue, but perhaps he might relay his current views to us before the debate finishes. This practice is unsustainable. We see nets being hauled and, in some cases, more than half of what is caught being thrown back. I am interested to hear that some work is being done in this regard and that there is new technology available for separating fish, but I would like to know what the position is at EU level. Can we not convince the European Union that throwing dead fish back into the sea will not sustain or improve fish stocks? What we are being forced to do is ludicrous.

The problem of obesity is mentioned in both the motion and the amendment. There is an effort to require all food outlets to display the calorie count of the food they are selling. This has been championed on the programme "Operation Transformation" by Professor Donal O'Shea. Is there any intention to introduce legislation in this regard? This issue is of great importance. Such systems are in place elsewhere, particularly in New York, and they do make people more conscious of what they are eating.

Composting was mentioned in the original motion. Home composting, the first point of engagement in reducing waste, has not been promoted to a great extent, although some local authorities are endeavouring to provide composting units and information. In my own town I was involved in promoting the use of home composting kits. However, it is hit and miss. One may say there are brown bins, but they not are provided in some parts of the country. Where a person has a choice between putting food into a composter in the garden and putting it into a bin to be taken to a landfill site, if he or she is not encouraged to take the first option, he or she will not do it. I ask the Minister to comment on this issue, although it is the responsibility of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government more so than the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

The other issue about which I am concerned and which is dealt with in the motion is the condition of food in retail outlets, particularly fruit and vegetables. There are two problems. First, the quantities being sold discriminate against elderly people living alone. They are forced to buy, for example, six tomatoes in a pack, but as they will not use them in two weeks, they will have to throw out half of them. The second is the condition of packaged fruit and vegetables and practically all of them are packaged. Even though there is a "sell by" or "use by" date on them, when one opens the packet, much of the product is damaged and unusable. This is something the local health inspectors are supposed to regulate by carrying out spot checks, but that is not happening. The multiples and large stores are the main culprits in that regard.

There are many successful local markets in rural areas. I am the son of a former greengrocer as my mother ran a greengrocer shop for about 25 years. The consumer wants fresh vegetables straight from the soil, but, unfortunately, we are regulating this out of existence. We should look at the matter again, as there is scope for this. People who have stalls in markets are finding it extremely difficult to operate because of regulations. On the one hand, there must be regulation, but, on the other, we must find a way to allow fresh fruit and vegetables to be sold. That means the carrots will still have the dirt on them, once they are traceable. Perhaps the Minister will comment on this suggestion.