Victor Boyhan urges stronger powers for food regulator

A few points. First, I think it's been a very meaningful engagement, robust and all as it is. I think everyone appreciates the significance and the importance of the food regulator. And it is still progressing and building on experience and building on various engagements. I suppose the real thing is that the letter to the Minister, I mean, I'm somewhat disappointed the Minister's not here, but we will have an opportunity to see the Minister. You may even meet him in the corridors. He's coming here at half past six. But anyway, we have another topic to discuss that's not relevant to this. But certainly it's something I'll be bringing up to the Minister who wants to give you reassurances. I think it would be helpful if you could keep the pressure on, because clearly you have a job to do. The Iraq has passed legislation. This is where people are held to account or partially held to account. And I think I suppose the one issue that I take away from it is this compelability bit, which is you've made the point strongly. Additional powers, we don't quite know. I think it's sometimes easy to have a list of what are the additional powers. You might just articulate them to us. We can follow up. Our engagement doesn't end here today. I mean, you can submit through the Secretariat issues or follow-ups in relation to some of your considerations of our engagement here today. And I think that's open, always open to people. I know the Secretariat and the Chair would welcome that. And I suppose one thing that strikes me, the customer. At the end of the day, we have to think of the customer, the consumer. And I think people are generally happy that there is such a thing as a food regulator. I think, Darren, I took some time to try and track this today. I think you could do a better job. It may be to do with resources, so it's not a criticism. And I know you don't have infinite resources, so you've got to apply your resources where it's most appropriate. But I think some sort of marketing of the food regulator service itself, so that people clearly understand. Because you have parameters, clearly, you know, and people may have different degrees of understandings of what actually is your function. And I think there's a bit of work to do on that. But again, I'm conscious that that's maybe not the most important thing when you've limited resources. But that's what I'd like to leave with you to thank you. I think it's a very important function. It does need a bit of polishing up, but that comes with time. And some sort of engagement to communicate through some sort of marketing campaign about what we're really about. I mean, the Food Safety Authority is particularly good at this. And they have their regular reports. I constantly check in on them. And it's a model that you might even look at. I mean, you have to tweak it, of course, depending on your own sets of circumstances and what messages you're trying to communicate. But I think there's a bit of work to be done on communicating your work. But I have no doubt that people, and from what I've heard both internally but also in the sector, people are happy that there is such a thing as a food regulator. It is independent. And I think that's the key message. You know, you're not beholden to the Minister. You're not beholden to the government. You have a standalone statutory process. So I think don't be afraid. I would, shall we say, I would encourage you to shout out, to use us, engage with us if you need to put a bit more pressure on the Minister to deliver. Because you can't do your job if you don't have the staffing and the resources and the compelability piece, or the missing pieces of legislation that will strengthen your functions. So I wish you well. Thank you very much, Senator, for, look, the encouraging words, and more than you, we really appreciate the invitation in here today to meet with you all and explain what we're at, and, you know, to bring you up to date with what we're doing. And I agree, and, you know, it's a constant thing, and I even alluded to it in my open speech, to get our message out there. We've tried to attend as many meetings as is possible. Niamh has addressed the Board via conferences. That's why, exactly as you say, we've had a presence at the Tullamore Show this year at the Ploughing Championships for the past two years. And it's in a constant effort to get the message out there of who we are. And particularly, Senator, given the fact that we're only set up, we're not even two years yet. So it is important to get the message out there. And to your, I suppose, the question inside and all of that was in relation to the, our ask at the moment. And our ask is very simple. It's one power, and that's the power to compel. So it's to have that word changed from seek to compel. You know, it might sound very simple, you know, but that's our ask. So I hope that's an answer to the question you were asking, Senator. And again, thank you for your kind words.