asked the Minister for Agriculture (i) the percentage of food products for sale in our supermarkets and shops that are imported; (ii) the number of same; (iii) if he will give a full list of these products; (iv) the number of Irish companies importing food products, their names and the amount of staff employed in Ireland by these companies; (v) the number of multinational companies operating in Ireland and importing food products to Ireland and the names of these companies and the amount of staff which they employ here; and (vi) the annual food import bill and the countries supplying to Ireland.

The particulars sought under headings (i) to (v) inclusive are not available in my Department. As to heading (vi) the total imports of food for human consumption in 1982 amounted in value to £524 million. I propose to circulate in the Official Report a statement listing the countries which supplied these imports.

Following is the statement:

Imports of Food for Human Consumption 1982.

The Minister tells us that this information is not available to his Department. I ask if it is available to any other Department? If so, why has he not the information, or why has he not received it from them? This is an important question which should be answered.

I shall endeavour to answer it. I have queried the Department of Trade, Commerce and Tourism and the Department of Industry and Energy and neither of those Departments can supply me with the figures requested.

Neither can supply this information. I do not know what is going on in this country since the Coalition Government got in.

Has the Minister for Agriculture been to any supermarket since he became Minister? Would he be prepared to go into some of the supermarkets where he could make a fairly good estimation if he walked around?

That appears to be another question.

I want to take issue with the Deputy. Shopping is one of my favourite pastimes. Of course, I go into supermarkets.

The Minister should spend a little more time on agriculture and less on shopping.

Is the Minister aware of the vast quantities of imported vegetables at present in every supermarket all over the country? What does he propose to do about this?

If the Deputy had been here for the past month, she would realise that we have been discussing this issue——

There cannot be argument across the table.

——at great length.

The Minister is not doing anything about it. What about the thousands of tons of potatoes being dumped?

I am passing now to Question No. 8.

It is still 80,000 tons less this year than last year.

Let us know what the Minister is going to do about it.

Question No. 8.