MEDIA RELEASE FROM THE AGRI-FOOD REGULATOR - 25^th February 2025

An Rialálaí Agraibhia (Agri-Food Regulator) seeks urgent meeting with Minister

Niamh Lenehan CEO addresses IFA Horticulture meeting.

Niamh Lenehan, CEO of An Rialálaí Agraibhia (Agri-Food Regulator) (Regulator) today confirmed that the Board had written to Martin Heydon TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and the Marine to seek an urgent meeting to discuss the Regulator’s request for additional powers submitted last September.
These additional powers would allow for the Regulator to compel businesses in the agri-food supply chain to provide price and market information for reporting purposes.
Speaking at the IFA Horticulture and Potato Growers meeting this evening, Ms Lenehan told attendees that efforts to produce the envisaged report on price and market trends in the horticulture sector had not been possible, as a number of businesses did not provide the requested data.
As a result, a report on the horticulture sector using only publicly available data is now being finalised and will be published on www.agrifoodregulator.ie shortly.

Addressing the meeting, Ms Lenehan said:

“Similar to the Regulator’s initial efforts to produce a report on the egg sector, the production of the envisaged horticulture report has not been possible as a number of businesses did not provide the requested data.

While we were pleased to see all but one of the contacted retailers and wholesalers engage with the Regulator and provide data, a number of other businesses across the supply chain have not yet provided data. This once again highlights the need for the Regulator to be granted additional powers to compel businesses to supply the necessary data so that we can fully deliver on our remit.”

Ms Lenehan confirmed that the matter was discussed by the Board of the Regulator last week, who requested that the Chair Joe Healy write immediately to Minister Heydon to seek an urgent meeting on the matter.

Joe Healy, Chair of the Agri-Food Regulator confirmed that he has written to the Minister:

“While the Board is grateful to the businesses that provided information to the Regulator in relation to the proposed horticulture report, we find ourselves once again hamstrung in the absence of powers to compel businesses to provide data in a timely manner with a view to improving transparency.

Last September, the Board sought additional powers for the Regulator as envisaged under the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Act. The Board is concerned that without these additional powers, we are unable to fulfil a core legislative function of the Regulator – the publication of analysis of price and market data along the agri-food supply chain.

We remain unanimously of the view that additional powers are essential for the Regulator to address the issue of lack of transparency and information asymmetry in the agri-food supply chain.

We look forward to engaging with the Minister on the matter in a timely manner.”

ENDS

For media queries contact:

Deirdre Sheahan, Drury | Deirdre.sheahan@drury.ie | 085 744 2242

Danielle Martin, Drury | Danielle.martin@drury.ie | 086 776 1592

Notes for editors

Under the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Act 2023 (2023 Act), An Rialálaí Agraibhia (Agri-Food Regulator) was established as an independent state agency on 13th December 2023. Under the 2023 Act, the Agri-Food Regulator is responsible for promoting fairness and transparency in the agricultural and food supply chain. It was also designated as the Enforcement Authority for the purposes of the Unfair Trading Regulations (S.I. No. 625/2023 - Agricultural and Food Supply Chain (Unfair Trading) Regulations 2023).
Unless otherwise indicated, the following businesses have provided data to the Agri-Food Regulator in response to the Regulator’s data request relating to the horticulture sector:

Email: info@agrifoodregulator.ie                  Phone: +353 (0) 1 601 9900

Office Address:

An Rialálaí Agraibhia (Agri-Food Regulator)
Backweston Campus
Celbridge
Co Kildare
W23 X3PH

___________________________________________________________________________________

An Rialálaí Agraibhia (Agri-Food Regulator) is an independent statutory Office established under the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Act 2023.

The Agri-Food Regulator is concerned with promoting fairness and transparency in the agri-food supply chain. It’s statutory remit and focus is on business-to-business relationships within the supply chain. In exercising this function, the Agri-Food Regulator shall have regard to the circumstances and needs of the agricultural and food sector including, in particular, farming, fishing and small food businesses.

The Agri-Food Regulator is made up of a Board which makes decisions about the Office’s policies and strategic approach to key functions while the Executive Staff implements the agreed policies and workplan.