The "Rip Van Winkle" attitude to agriculture in Ireland must change, according to a former minister of State for agriculture, who claimed Irish companies were importing bacon and selling it as Irish.
Mr Ned O'Keeffe, now a Fianna Fáil backbencher for Cork East, demanded that the country of origin should be displayed on all food products.
He said the Irish consumer was being conned at an unprecedented rate and that Irish farmers were being treated like "peasants".
Asking "when are we going to get our act together as regards food?", the former minister held up two packets of rashers.
He said the Denny rashers were produced in Shillelagh, Co Wicklow, and "I would like to know the origin of this meat. I understand the plant in Shillelagh is full of imported bacon products, yet the packaging refers to Bord Bia. I am paying a levy to Board Bia. Am I paying it to import products?"
He also held up a packet of Galtee rashers and said that it did not carry "any reference to Bord Bia because the company imports so much. They are very good for grilling. I am a member of the company's management committee and I am fed up with this.
"The company receives grant aid from Enterprise Ireland and scales down the purchase of local pigs in favour of imports." He said it was time farmers and the IFA examined where their levies were going. He said: "I do not understand why an Irish Government, led by Fianna Fáil, would shy away from its responsibility to protect the consumer and the producer on such an important issue."
During a debate on legislation to amalgamate An Bord Bia and An Bord Glas, Mr O'Keeffe said that "the country of origin is the secret to saving our food industry and protecting our farmers from exploitation".
He said the An Bord Bia (Amendment) Bill did not go "anywhere near what is needed to develop the Irish food industry in terms of either development, promotion or marketing.
"Why have we not had the foresight to incorporate all food agencies into one statutory body? There are not so many involved as to make this a difficult proposition."
His party colleague, Mr Michael Moynihan (Cork North West) said that parts of the catering industry were using imported food and "we should try to encourage people, and they should also empower themselves, to ensure we buy Irish and support indigenous industry".
Green Party leader Mr Trevor Sargent said the industry did not realise the potential of the organic sector, which was being outstripped by other countries. "In eastern Europe, Poland currently has more farmland free from pesticides than most countries in Europe. Hungary already sells 95 per cent of its organic output abroad and its exports are growing at a staggering 20 per cent per year. Bulgaria is getting in on the act, as is Romania."
