Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I do not have a specific request for the Leader, but I wish to refer to a very important news item. Ireland has been named as the country with the most secure food in the world. This was announced yesterday at the launch of the sixth annual global food security index and is a remarkable achievement. The news was published in the newspapers yesterday and again today. The index measures improvements in food affordability, availability, quality and safety. Ireland finished with a score of 79 out of 100, just ahead of Austria which had a score of 77. The United States of America which had previously topped the list finished fourth. France and Germany came third and fifth, respectively. This remarkable story must be acknowledged. The detailed reports contain a very interesting analysis and emphasise that Government support for agricultural research weighed heavily in Ireland's favour. In that context, I refer to Bord Bia's food strategy, Making a World of Difference. Bord Bia does great work and its strategy is outlined in a booklet which was published in 2016. I am delighted to say it is also included in the programme for Government. A lot of emphasis in placed in Origin Green on food security and organic production in the meat sector, as well as the vegetable and horticulture sectors. We must acknowledge and celebrate this great achievement, particularly in the context of Brexit, as well as the great opportunities it presents on the island of Ireland, North and South. We must harness the opportunities for major expansion in organic production in the Republic of Ireland and across the island. I ask the Leader to pass on the good wishes of the House to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and those involved in rolling out the strategy, particularly in Bord Bia. They are on the right track. It constitutes international validation of what they are doing and should be acknowledged. I say, "Well done," to all involved.