The Irish Times reports today that the Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Mary Coughlan, has called for the appointment of an ombudsman for food. The food sector is currently in crisis, with extremely high job losses in the last year, and continuing high costs. There is also the issue, frequently discussed here, of pricing in supermarkets and the shelf space given to Irish producers.
This seems to me like a good initiative: the sector, according to the Times, employs over 200,000 people, in direct jobs, distribution and farming. Let’s hope that if a food ombudsman is appointed, they receive the necessary cooperation.