Seanad report: Brian Hayes, Fine Gael leader in the House, asked that the Government consider a major investigation through the Competition Authority into what appeared to be a cartel operating within the meat industry. It was astonishing that factories had announced on the one day a 20 per cent reduction per head in the price of lamb.
Joe O'Toole (Ind) said he absolutely supported what Mr Hayes had said. He had failed to get answers on why Irish lamb could be sold more cheaply in France than here.
Noel Coonan (FG) said it was obvious a cartel existed. It was worrying that the only people who had been dragged before the courts and who were being threatened by the Competition Authority were leaders of farming organisations. "They seem to turn a blind eye totally to the operations of the factories."
Peter Callanan (FF) agreed with what Mr Hayes had said about the authority. There was no doubt a cartel existed - "factory versus processor, over many years". The sooner the better the farming organisations came together and resolved the issue.
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A Government member demanded that responsibility for childcare provision be taken from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Mary White (FF) said creche and nursery operators had made a forceful case to an Oireachtas committee that those providing such facilities in disadvantaged areas did not know whether they would get funding beyond the end of next August. The Government must draw up a 10-year childcare strategy and set up a separate department to handle the issue.
Mary Henry (Ind) complimented Ms White on the manner in which she continued the childcare issue in the House.
Sheila Terry (FG) backed Ms White's call to remove childcare from the Department of Justice."We can see that the equal opportunities childcare programme is a sham."
Kathleen O'Meara (Lab) said it was clear the Department of Finance was holding up progress in this area. A proper policy would not be developed until the Government accepted that quality childcare could not be provided unless it was prepared to spend money.
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Attempts to free up acute hospital beds were hampered by the belief of patients that all care for the elderly would soon be free, the Tánaiste and Minister for Health, Mary Harney said. She was determined to ensure that various initiatives would succeed, she said in a debate on problems surrounding hospital and emergency services.