Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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1274. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress in establishing a food ombudsman; if the position will be approved by the Houses of the Oireachtas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16926/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government includes a commitment to:

Ensure fairness, equity, and transparency in the food chain by establishing a new authority called the National Food Ombudsman (NFO) to enforce the Unfair Trading Practices Directive. This new authority will enforce EU-wide rules on prohibited unfair trading practices in the food supply chain and will have powers to enforce this Directive, penalising those who breach regulations.

My Department is taking a two-step approach to the establishment of the NFO (or equivalent office). Firstly, a statutory instrument will be drafted to transpose the UTP Directive by the deadline of 1st May 2021. This will provide for an Enforcement Authority which will have the powers as currently provided for in the Directive. The legislative and operational requirements for establishing a new Office of a Food Ombudsman, or equivalent, that might provide for functions other than those provided for in the UTP Directive are being examined. Primary legislation will be required both to establish this new authority, and to provide for any further powers which may be given to that office. It is intended that there will shortly be a national consultation process on the possible functions of the NFO. I am notin a position to say at present what will be provided for in any new legislation regarding the appointment of a Food Ombudsman or equivalent, until such legislation is finalised.