Nessa Cosgrove (Labour)

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit go dtí an Teach. As all the Seanadóirí have noted, we in Ireland produce food of the finest quality. In recent years, we have become increasingly aware of the importance of generating local markets for sustainable local products and services. I will focus in my contribution on farmers markets and the benefit they provide environmentally, economically and socially for local communities. Products and services that are delivered and consumed within the region in which they are created are less detrimental to the environment, as we can easily understand by way of the concept of food miles.

Rossnowlagh farmers market in south Donegal celebrated its first anniversary last week. Enthusiasm is really high among traders and the market is doing a fantastic job of attracting both traders and customers and bringing communities together locally. People are drawn in not only by the local fresh produce but also by the sense of community and the vibrancy of the market. The organisers emphasise the value of building community wealth and keeping people spending money locally. A genuine economic wealth is created, delivered and retained within the community.

Another example is Strandhill farmers market, which had been operating out of hangar one at Sligo Airport for the past 11 years. The old, disused hangar would have been just left there all that time if it was not being used by the market. Recently, unfortunately, the hangar became unavailable as it is now being used by the rescue helicopter service. The final Strandhill farmers market, which was such an important and vibrant part of the local community, took place in December 2024. More than 2,000 traders were supported and nurtured by the market. Many businesses grew products that were initially sold in the market before going on to be stocked throughout the region. There was a lot of indigenous growth. Other traders went on to set up successful cafes in the town.

From listening to traders in my area, with the wild Atlantic raging around us, an issue is the need for permanent structures specifically for farmers markets. Access to hand-washing facilities, power and food preparation facilities is very important. It is really hard to have only temporary structures when the wild Atlantic is blowing. County councillors in both Donegal and Sligo all agree on the need to find a way to fund local authorities such that they can support the creation of permanent structures for the specific use of farmers markets.

The Our Rural Future policy document refers to creating sustainable and cohesive rural communities. To do that, we must support regional rural policy. We need to encourage sustainable tourism, in which these farmers markets play a huge part. People coming to Rossnowlagh and Strandhill really benefit from attending the farmers markets. This is exactly what rural policy should be about. If we are talking about creating new markets for Irish produce, this is one way of doing it.

In the minute and a half remaining to me, I will focus on the need for bilingual packaging on food. We all know the expression "tír gan teanga, tír gan anam". Last year, the Central Statistics Office reported that the number of people using Irish had decreased in the 2022 census. The number of people who have Irish increased but the number using it has fallen. The number who use an Ghaeilge on a daily basis went from 73,000 in 2016 to 71,000 in 2022. This is a shocking state of affairs when it comes to our own language. Bilingual packaging is one measure that could help in this regard. Both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, in their election manifestos, undertook to ensure customers' right to be served in Irish and to increase the visibility of the language on signage, packaging and advertising. Bilingual packaging should be prioritised over other initiatives. We can look at economies of scale by first targeting products that have a bigger reach before gradually encouraging smaller producers to introduce bilingual packaging.

This measure will help to ensure people use the cúpla focal. It will take away the fear of speaking Irish for many and allow others to immerse themselves more fully in the language outside the Gaeltacht. The inclusion of Irish with English on food packaging is a straightforward way to raise literacy rates. It will create more opportunities for people to use Irish in everyday situations. People coming here as tourists are delighted to see Irish packaging. It has been successfully done in Canada, where packaging includes French as well as English text. Why cannot we include both Irish and English? Ní mór dúinn a bheith cróga agus ár dteanga a choinneáil beo.