Sir, – Simon Coveney’s leaning on Pat Rabbitte (“Rabbitte’s cheese ban plan grates on Coveney’s nerves”, Front page, June 25th) clearly demonstrates that the Department of Agriculture has no qualms advocating profit and brand image above children’s health.
Such a blinkered stance is of little surprise given that the Government’s Food Harvest 2020 plan will increase dairy and beef output despite ample evidence that animal agriculture is a major contributor to various environmental problems.
This mad pursuit of relatively short-term gain is grossly irresponsible and jeopadises all of our futures in multiple ways.
For the long-term health of Ireland, we urgently need to cultivate organic plant-based alternatives, rather than this deeply entrenched glossing over of the negative sides of animal agriculture. – Yours, etc,