THE Minister for Agriculture was accused of ignoring consumers during the Second Stage debate on the An Bord Bia (Amendment) Bill. Mr Rory Kiely (FF) described the Bill, which gives three additional places to consumer representatives on the board as "inadequate and belated".
However, the Minister of State for Agriculture, Mr Jimmy Deenihan, said the aim of the Bill was not to rectify any deficiencies in the board's structures but to, reinforce the very strong consumer dimension.
Mr Deenihan said the problems in the beef sector have brought home to us just how consumer perceptions and concerns could impact on the food industry.
But Mr Kiely said the Minister For Agriculture, Mr Yates, had "wedded himself to a producer agenda", ignoring legitimate consumer concerns. It was ludicrous that it had been necessary to bring forward legislation at this point to allow for consumer group representatives.