asked the Minister for Agriculture if he has any plans to put greater emphasis on the processing, packaging and marketing sections of the agricultural industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Agricultural Marketing.
4.
A comprehensive range of facilities and incentives is already available from various State agencies to assist and encourage the processing and marketing of agricultural products. The level of grant aid available to the food industry for investment in facilities for the processing and marketing of agricultural products is, in fact, more favourable than that available to industry generally. This is due to the fact that grant aid from the IDA is supplemented in many cases by additional aid from the EC Commission under Regulation 355/77. The IDA also makes grant aid available to individual firms to carry out research into new products and new markets. This is in addition to the facilities provided by bodies such as An Foras Talúntais, UCC and the IIRS for product research and development.
With regard to marketing, exports of most of the main agricultural products are already being promoted or carried on by centralised bodies such as CBF and Bord Bainne, while assistance to exports generally is provided by Córas Tráchtála.
The level of State assistance to the food industry for processing and marketing is substantial despite the difficult Exchequer situation and bearing in mind the constraints imposed by EC regulations as to the type of assistance which can be provided. It is, of course, a matter for the industry itself to make the fullest use of the facilities available.
It is the policy of my Department to encourage the food industry to diversify away from commodity type products such as carcase beef, butter and skim milk powder, and to move into consumer type products which are less vulnerable to changes in EC policy and have a much greater employment and value-added content. Because of the importance which the Government attach to this strategy, the grant-aiding agencies have been asked to give priority to investment projects related to consumer-type products and to satisfy themselves that the marketing arrangements of individual firms seeking grant aid are adequate.
Will the Minister of State elaborate on the Minister's recent statement that he was going to extend the Department of Agriculture to include agriculture and food, thereby taking up a Fianna Fáil proposal? What progress has been made in that regard?
The House will be aware that four Ministers of State are having discussions on how the food area can best be managed. The proposal mentioned is one of many that we are looking at. At this stage it would be premature to say that we would opt in favour of the Opposition's proposal.
(Limerick West): Is the Minister aware that there is not a coherent policy in regard to the food processing sector? Is it not about time that a lead was given by some Department to prepare a policy to bring all sections of the industry under one umbrella? Is that under discussion by the committee mentioned by the Minister? When can we expect that committee to issue a report?
The findings will take some time. Our report will go in the first instance to Government for consideration.
(Limerick West): When will the committee be reporting to the Government?
It will take some time because it is a complex matter. While it is important to get all the various strands together, as suggested by the Deputy, it is very difficult to see how one can bring all the groups together. They are very successful individually and they do not want to know about each other. Apart from helping them along the road to do their job in a more efficient way by grant aiding and advising them we can do little else for private enterprise.
(Limerick West): I am not talking about private enterprise but about Government agencies and the Minister has more or less agreed that Government agencies are doing their own thing and do not want to know about each other.
I was not talking about Government agencies. I was talking about private people in the export business. The individual sections in food processing are working their own side of the market and they do not want to know about anybody else. With regard to State agencies, AFT, UCC, IIRS and the Sugar Company are relating very well together. My only complaint there is that it is a facility which is much underutilised.
Question No. 6.
(Limerick West): Is the Minister aware that Government agencies are under the control of different Government Departments? Would the Minister agree that it would be more efficient for all those involved in food processing to be under the one Minister?
That is a widely held point of view but I do not find any difficulties in operating with people from other Departments.
(Limerick West): I am talking about efficiency.
Question No. 5.
Could I ask a question? It is very relevant.
Just one short question.
Would the Minister agree that now that we have had the abolition of both the Pigs and Bacon Commission and the Wool Board there seems to be a vacuum in the promotions of pig meat and wool? Can the Minister say who is responsible for this and would he not agree that CBF should have overall responsibility for the promotion of all our livestock and meat goods?
It is one of the things we are considering at the moment.
Question No. 5.
Can the Minister tell us who is responsible for the promotion of——
Question No. 5.