Nora Owen
Question:6 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry in view of the high import costs to the fresh cut flower market in Ireland, the plans, if any, he has to develop the fresh flower industry in this country.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cut Flower Production.
Gay Mitchell
Question:8 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry in view of the high import costs of the fresh cut flower market in Ireland, the plans, if any, he has to develop the fresh flower industry in this country.
Alan Shatter
Question:10 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry in view of the high import costs of the fresh cut flower market in Ireland, the plans, if any, he has to develop the fresh flower industry in this country.
John Connor
Question:34 Mr. Connor asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry in view of the high import costs of the fresh cut flower market in Ireland, the plans, if any, he has to develop the fresh flower industry at home.
Jim Higgins
Question:35 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry in view of the high import costs of the fresh cut flower market in Ireland, the plans, if any, he has to develop the fresh flower industry in this country.
Bernard Allen
Question:40 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry in view of the high import costs of the fresh cut flower market in Ireland, the plans, if any, he has to develop the fresh flower industry in this country.
Michael Finucane
Question:45 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry in view of the high import costs of the fresh cut flower market in Ireland, the plans, if any, he has to develop the fresh flower industry in this country.
Mary Flaherty
Question:49 Miss Flaherty asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry in view of the high import costs of the fresh cut flower market in Ireland, the plans, if any, he has to develop the fresh flower industry in this country.
Enda Kenny
Question:54 Mr. E. Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry in view of the high import costs of the fresh cut flower market in Ireland, the plans, if any, he has to develop the fresh flower industry in this country.
Seán Barrett
Question:57 Mr. Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry in view of the high import costs of the fresh cut flower market in Ireland, the plans, if any, he has to develop the fresh flower industry in this country.
John Bruton
Question:58 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry in view of the high import costs of the fresh cut flower market in Ireland, the plans, if any, he has to develop the fresh flower industry in this country.
Michael Creed
Question:62 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry in view of the high import costs of the fresh cut flower market in Ireland, the plans, if any, he has to develop the fresh flower industry in this country.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 6, 8, 10, 34, 35, 40, 45, 49, 54, 57, 58 and 62 together.
Horticulture, which includes cut flower production, is aided under a number of measures. The main ones are the farm improvement programme and the greenhouse grants scheme. The promotion of cut flowers is catered for by An Bord Glas and in addition Teagasc provides research and advisory services to the sector. As cut flower production is subject to a common organisation of the market member states of the European Union are precluded from providing State aid for such production.
The Minister of State said the cut flower industry in Ireland is aided under a number of measures, the main ones being the farm improvement programme and the greenhouse grants scheme. I understand that last year we imported £12 million to £14 million worth of cut flowers. We produced £750,000 worth of cut flowers in a climate which is eminently suited, certainly under glass, for the production of fresh flowers. Is he aware that the Netherlands, which is not a tropical country and has a climate similar to ours, is the premier producer of cut flowers in Europe and exported of the order of 4 billion guilders worth in 1992?
The Chair wishes to intervene. The Deputy is imparting quite an amount of information rather than seeking it.
With the greatest of respect to you, it appears the Minister needs a good deal of instruction in this area.
The Deputy will obey the Chair.
Will the Minister comment on the figures I have given?
The Minister did not give much information.
The purpose of the lecture was not clear. I will follow up with more detail on the question which the Deputy put in the first place. In order to qualify for grant aid under the farm improvement scheme, applicants must satisfy certain training and/or experience criteria. They must spend 50 per cent of their time in agricultural production and derive 50 per cent of their income from it. The rate of grant is 35 per cent of approved cost, subject to a maximum investment of £180,000 per applicant. The greenhouse grants scheme was introduced on 1 August 1989 for a period of five years and caters for those who do not qualify under the farm improvement programme. The grant rate is 25 per cent of approved cost. Horticulture is also supported under the operational programme for rural development and the Leader programme 1991-93. Similar type support is envisaged under the new round of Structural Funds 1994-97. That is the financial assistance available from EU sources. Because of the structure of the market within the Union we are not allowed to provide assistance from national funds.
In the context of the preparation of operational programme for agriculture and especially alternative enterprises, would the Minister agree that greater assistance should be directed to that area? Can he say how many people are employed in the cut flower industry in Ireland?
That is a separate question.
I do not have the figures requested. The Deputy can take it that in our discussions in Brussels we will seek to advance all sectors of the horticultural industry. Because of the nature of the market the Deputy will accept that decision in relation to these grants will be made at EU level.
Will the Minister make a case for a greater share?
Will the Minister agree that this is an area that could be of particular interest to women? There are many successful flower clubs throughout the country, mainly involving women. Has the Minister any plans to help women to develop this industry? Having listened to the eligibility criteria for grant assistance, the women in the flower clubs would have great difficulty in qualifying for a grant. Is the Minister prepared to make a submission to Brussels seeking grant aid for rural women who have a genuine interest in flowers and can contribute much to this industry?
We are talking about production and I accept it involves a great deal of skill. I do not know whether we can proceed down this road on the gender criteria but I take the Deputy's points and will see if we can develop something along those lines.
Has the Department been consulted by Údarás na Gaeltachta regarding their consideration of grant applications for green house developments in the Gaeltacht?
That is a separate question. I am not aware of it but I will check it for the Deputy.
The Minister seemed to imply that we cannot have national grant aid in schemes where there is EC grant aid. I take it that is the position with the Minister's Department. The Minister does not seem to be familiar with the role of Údarás na Gaeltachta in this area.
I understand that because of the common organisation of the market any kind of State aid does not apply to this sector. I am not aware of any approaches made by Údarás na Gaeltachta in this matter but I will check for the Deputy.
Will the Minister communicate with me?
Yes.
Should the Department not take a greater interest in this matter given that we import such huge quantities of flowers? We should promote this and give whatever grant aid is necessary. Could the Leader programme be used to help this sector?
We are anxious to assist any sector of the horticultural industry. On the eve of St. Valentines's Day we exported daffodils to the US. Our best potential lies in producing field flowers or field produce generally out of season when it could command a premium price in the market. Many years were spent developing the Dutch operation to the sophisticated point it is at and there are huge economies of scale involved. The Leader submissions are made by groups in each of the potential Leader areas. These are forwarded to the Department and then to Brussels for approval. The Deputy is aware of the process involved in Leader programmes.
There is a common programme in the Community in relation to horticulture and the cut flower industry. Does that policy operate to our disadvantage in that it is heavily concentrated in low lying and other countries in Western Europe? In the discussions on the funds under the agricultural-horticultural programme the Minister should seek a greater share of funding for that industry because of its very low base. We have a comparative advantage in that we have good soil, climate and so on. I accept that the Dutch, through their own innovation and ingenuity, have a highly developed industry. However, we should seek this assistance and get a favourable loading in terms of funding.
I note the points made and will see to it that line is followed in our approaches to Brussels. How successful we will be is another matter.