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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 25 May 1993

Vol. 431 No. 3

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Irish Food Promotion.

Seán Barrett

Question:

13 Mr. Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if he will give details of the promotions abroad of Irish food that are planned for the remainder of 1993.

During the remainder of 1993 Irish food will be promoted at a number of food fairs abroad. Details of these events and of the promotion agencies involved are as follows:

Event

Agency

1. Royal Highland Show (June)

CBF

2. Royal Stoneleigh Show (July)

CBF

3. The Teheran Show (October)

CBF

4. Anuga Food Fair (October)

CBF

ABT

BIM

There is also a possibility that Bord Iascaigh Mhara could be involved in the Sunday Times International Festival of fine wine and food to be held in London in October.

In addition the food promotion agencies will be organising a number of other promotional activities abroad including in-store promotions.

Is the Minister not aware that the list he has read from is the normal list to which we have become accustomed? Those food fairs are useful but there is nothing very special about the list. Is the Minister not aware that we are at the Royal Stoneleigh Show and the Royal Highland Show every year? Would he not agree that there is no indication of any new thinking there? More importantly, is he aware that the grant-in-aid for CBF this year is cut by £198,000 and the administration grant-in-aid to BIM is cut by £170,000 compared to last year? If we take CBF, BIM and Bord Glas and the allocation for trade exhibitions and promotions in his Department's Estimate and that for the Department of the Marine we will find a cut this year of over £250,000 compared to last year. Would he explain to the House how that represents an energetic approach to the marketing of Irish food?

As Deputy Dukes is aware, a number of international shows are held throughout the world each year. Decisions must be made by the various promotion agencies in Ireland — CBF, Bord Iascaigh Mhara, An Bord Tráchtála or whoever — as to the shows which are most beneficial to our producers and processors. It is difficult to find sufficient resources to attend all of these promotions. Obviously, we must look at a budget in terms of using it most costeffectively. Much promotion is done in the context of inviting groups of buyers from supermarkets in a particular country or region to attend, with CBF, ABT or others acting as facilitators for the companies to make contact with the supermarket buyers. One aspect which struck me at the recent Kinsale International Food Forum was that in future supermarket chains, who control 50 to 60 per cent of the food business on the continent, wish to deal with fewer suppliers. That point was put quite forcibly to me. Promotions which attract key buyers for the multiples are an effective way of promoting Irish goods. To say that if we do not attend each and every international fair we will not be doing our job correctly is unfair. There are limited resources in this area and the Exchequer will never be able to provide sufficient funds to attend all of these shows. Deputy Dukes will agree that the agencies have been doing very well on behalf of Irish industry and he is aware also that the larger players in the business do their own promotion work where they find it is beneficial to attend these shows. This must be done on a cost-effective basis so that our economy obtains the best return for our processors in terms of our products.

Since taking office I have been impressed by the quality of Irish promotion and marketing. Part of that process is to promote our clean, green, quality image which must be done at every level. The Deputy is nodding his head but I believe that——

Pure waffle.

Rubbish.

The Deputy may believe that is the case. Is the saying in effect that the agencies are not doing a good job?

I would like the Minister to explain how cutting the budget for the agencies and for promotions will help promote the marketing of Irish food abroad? How will it be constructive to cut the budget for marketing and promotion and achieve the aims the Minister is waffling about?

The only place where improvements can be made.

Does the Minister know that the budget is being cut?

I would like to answer the Deputy if he would give me an opportunity.

The Minister should read his Department's Estimates and discover what it is doing.

I already did that.

An Leas-Ceann Comhairle

The Minister of State without interruption.

The Deputy is aware also that the CBF funding, for instance, does not come solely from Government sources. It also comes from the industry.

We reduced the levies and the Minister is now taking another £200,000 off the budget.

The bottom line is that the existing resources must be used cost-effectively in terms of promoting Irish goods. That job is being done and I compliment and support those agencies in the very efficient and effective work being carried out by them.

So do I. They are doing a magnificent job in spite of the Minister knifing them in the back.

This question is very much related to the previous one concerning intervention. When one compares the amount of money spent on actual promotion with that spent on the administration of the intervention system it raises the question as to why so much money is spent on promotion. The Minister has agreed that stricter intervention criteria will be applied but why has he decided to cut the Livestock and Meat Board budget at a time when it should be doubled rather than decreased?

The Minister referred to the food fairs abroad at which Irish food will be promoted this year. Why is CBF going to the Royal Highland Show again this year? We are trying to build up our suckler herd. Many farmers are experiencing difficulties in obtaining sucklers to build up their herds due to a shortage of those animals. Ireland was renowned for the number of sucklers it used to send to Scotland but very few will be sent to the show this year. Why are we promoting these animals at the Royal Highland Show? It should be remembered that live animals — not meat — are being promoted at the show. Will the Minister explain why the budget for CBF has been cut? It should be better utilised at a time when the Minister suggested that a limitation will be put on carcase weight so that high quality cattle will no longer be put into intervention but will have to be sold. CBF will need a better budget if it is to sell Irish meat in the future. We do not want to hear any more waffle. During the period 1979-80——

——we sold 10,000 tonnes of quality Irish beef to Germany. We are now selling cow beef. There is no point in talking about how nice and green this island is if the Government does not provide the necessary resources for our State agencies to prove it is true.

The situation regarding promotion is as it is.

That is a profound remark. It means great things. I am delighted to hear that the situation regarding promotion is as it is.

May I continue?

The Minister, without interruption, please.

I repeat that the situation regarding promotion is as it is. Deputy Dukes can interpret that statement in whatever way he wishes.

What wisdom.

The decision to attend the Royal Highland Show was taken by CBF, the expert in this area, in the best interests of our agricultural industry. Deputy Crawford referred to the type of animal which will be taken into intervention. As the Deputy is aware, the Minister opposed the proposals in this regard at Community level and will continue to oppose them.

(Interruptions.)

He has failed.

The Deputies can continue to interrupt me but the Minister has opposed these proposals and will continue to do so in the interests of Irish agriculture.

The Minister has failed.

I want to move on to other questions. A final supplementary from Deputy Martin Cullen.

Will the Minister agree that what he has outlined in his reply in terms of the promotion of Irish food abroad is pathetic? This proves the point I was trying to make on the previous questions. We spend a derisory sum on marketing Irish food abroad. The support given by the Government to CBF, BIM and the other State agencies at a time——

Questions, please.

I am asking questions. Will the Minister agree that instead of talking about the greenness of Ireland we should do more to market Irish goods abroad? We are not capturing these markets and we will not do so unless there is a major change of attitude and a reallocation of resources within the Department for the marketing of Irish goods. I accept the CBF and the other State agencies are doing the best they can on their ridiculously limited budgets. Will the Minister accept that these resources are totally inadequate in terms of competing with conglo merates from other countries for these markets? We are simply not in the race in this regard and we will fail to create employment if we do not change our attitude to the promotion of Irish goods abroad.

In spite of what the Deputy said, the State agencies are doing a good job in the promotion of Irish goods.

They cannot do enough. They are doing the best they can with the limited resources available.

They are doing an excellent job with the resources available to them.

They will not be able to sell arts and crafts.

The Deputy should examine this area more closely. The bottom line is that we need to sell more value added products. There is a proposal to set up Córas Bia which, in effect, would take in CBF, the export side of An Bord Glas, CBT and the food side of Bord Iascaigh Mhara. The State's role in this area is to ensure that we have a generic Irish product to sell. At the end of the day selling the product is done by the companies and their people. The State puts in place the necessary framework whereby these goods can be sold. Apart from representation at the shows to which I referred, much promotional work is done on an ongoing basis.

I know that.

Our efforts in this regard are not pathetic.

In comparison with other countries they certainly are pathetic.

I did not interrupt the Deputy.

That was because the Minister——

The Deputy will be able to do it when he is a Minister.

The Minister, without interruption, please.

We have to provide a wider product range and become involved in the areas to which I referred earlier. There is a good promotional structure in place and all we need is a wider product range. This will secure the incomes of producers and create more employment in the food industry.

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