LAST WEEK, THE Dáil closed for its summer recess. Right before things wrapped up, Dublin Bay North TD Barry Heneghan managed to squeeze in one final question, on a very unexpected topic: Raw milk.

Heneghan brought the question to Deputy Martin Heydon, minister for agriculture, food and the marine. He outlined how anyone can walk into a shop and purchase an “apple-flavoured vape” or a packet of cigarettes, but that consumers will not find unpasteurised, unhomogenised milk on the shelves of shops in Dublin.

Admitting that he may be “out of [his] depth as a Dublin TD”, the Clontarf native highlighted that some of his constituents have had to travel to the North to access milk that has not been heat treated for consumer safety.

Milking it: Deputy Heneghan brought up the shortage of raw milk. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

In response, Deputy Heydon outlined that it is indeed possible to buy and sell what has now become known as ‘raw milk’ in Ireland.

In his response, he outlined that there is legislation that governs the production, processing and sale of raw milk in Ireland, detailing the high safety standards and transparent labelling that are necessary.

What is going on here?

Clontarf, and the wider Dublin Bay North constituency, are agriculturally barren and densely populated urban areas. In fairness, Clontarf does have plenty of high-end supermarkets full of expensive oddities, which raw milk wouldn’t stand out amongst.

Beyond the decadence of Clontarf, Dublin Bay North is a constituency where many of today’s major political issues are particularly heightened:........

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