Written answers

Tuesday, 28 September 2021

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

State Bodies

Photo of Matt CarthyMatt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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857. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of full-time equivalent staff currently assigned to the Unfair Trading Practices Enforcement Authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46508/21]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, one of the key principles of the Directive on Unfair Trading Practices (UTP) in business-to-business relationships in the agricultural and food supply chain is to protect farmers, farmers’ organisations and other weaker suppliers of agricultural and food products against stronger buyers and to improve their position in the supply chain.

I signed Statutory Instrument No. 198 of 2021 transposing the UTP Directive into Regulations applicable to Irish law on 28th April 2021, ahead of the EU deadline of 1st May 2021. These Regulations are an important tool in strengthening the position of primary producers, who are key to the success of our sector.

The Regulations provides for the establishment of an Enforcement Authority to deal with complaints against unfair trading practices and, as an interim measure, I established the Enforcement Authority in the Department pending the finalisation of primary legislation to establish a new Office of National Food Ombudsman or Regulator.

The Enforcement Authority has the power to investigate complaints made by agricultural and food product suppliers. The Authority may also initiate and conduct investigations on its own initiative and initiate legal proceedings for breaches of the UTPs.

The Authority currently has two full-time staff members and further staff resources will be allocated to it shortly.

I am fully committed to bringing forward legislation at an early date to establish a National Food Ombudsman or Regulator office that will bring greater levels of transparency to the sector.

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