Several farm organisations will appear before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine (JOCAFM) today (Wednesday, July 13) to discuss the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022.
Farm organisations will present their observations and recommendations on the bill, which proposes to establish the Office for Fairness and Transparency in the Agri-Food Supply Chain – previously referred to as the ‘National Food Ombudsman’.
Today’s committee meeting at 5:30p.m in Leinster House will be part of pre-legislative scrutiny of the general scheme of the bill.
The meeting will be split in two sessions, of which the first will hear from representatives of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) and the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA).
Representatives from Macra na Feirme and the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers’ Association (INHFA) will appear in the second session of the committee meeting.
The JOCAFM is chaired by Deputy Jackie Cahill, and has nine members from the Dáil and five from the Seanad. The meeting in committee room 3 can be viewed live on Oireachtas TV.
‘Food ombudsman’ office
It is proposed that the Office for Fairness and Transparency in the Agri-Food Supply Chain will enforce the Unfair Trading Practices (UTPs) Directive, penalising those who breach regulations, according to Deputy Cahill.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue recently appeared before the committee to answer questions about UTPs and the new office.
The minister said the new proposed office may require a levy to fund its activities, as well as a fee for complaints. However, there is no immediate proposal to introduce a charge or levy at this time, he said.
It was confirmed in March that Minister McConalogue had secured Cabinet approval to establish a new independent statutory authority to enhance transparency in the agricultural and food supply chain.