Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----I do not think that is any use to the discussion we are having. I do not think it realises the lived experience, for want of a better phrase, for many people. I think the issue of low-cost, generic formula may be teased out in parallel to this. The Government is obviously not going to get into the business of producing baby formula. However, the Senator is right that more than €30 million in grant aid support was given to companies that produce baby formula, among other products. These are great companies that employ a lot of people and our exports to China and Mexico are huge in this area for a reason. However, let us see what conditionality can be looked at. When I spoke to the Senator previously about wider grocery prices, the emphasis was making sure that essential goods were available at a lower cost, in particular through own-brand labelling. That might be a solution if we had some form of own-brand labelling in infant formula. That might be able to look at achieving what has been achieved in the UK. I am happy to speak further in due course.