Cllr Orla Russell asked members of Lismore Town Council for their support for a motion she brought before their monthly meeting on Monday night calling on the Government to enact legislation outlawing below-cost selling of vegetables.

She explained that she’d been shopping in Dungarvan before Christmas when she came across a small local producer protesting outside Dunnes Stores about vegetables being offered for sale for just cents. The producer explained to her that they were finding it hard to survive and continue to operate and employ people when such practices were being used.

It sparked a fairly lengthy discussion. Some members pointed out that the store owners who offered the cheap veg had stated publicly that they’d absorbed the cost themselves and the producers weren’t out of pocket. All agreed that it was a difficult situation as people are anxious to get a bargain in these economically-straitened times.

Cllr John Heneghan said it wasn’t the Government’s role to legislate as she requested. “We fought for an open market,” he pointed out. He did think something had to be done however and suggested an amended motion asking the Minister to investigate the system of below cost selling of agricultural produce. The amended motion was passed.