I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for giving me the opportunity of raising the issue of the prospect of the closure of Clonroche Soft Fruit Centre. When I mentioned it earlier today somebody thought I was talking about a sweet. Clonroche is the only soft fruit centre in the country and currently employs six full-time workers — that may seem to be small — ten part-time workers and at present there are 15 FÁS workers there for nine months. The FÁS workers are engaged in a basic horticultural skills course which covers the work done at the centre. They do a full course on vegetable growing. Crazy figures like £400 million have been given to extimate the cost of imported vegetables which we should be growing ourselves. I am not sure the figure is accurate; I think the Minister present, Deputy Kirk, has said the figure is closer to £100 million. Whatever the figure, it is scandalous and one way of redressing the balance is to train people such as the 15 FÁS workers in Clonroche at present.
In relation to vegetable growing, not alone should we be able to halt importation but, because of our climate and expertise, we should become net exporters. The fact is we import £27 million of chipped potatoes each year, a crazy statistic in a country with a potato growing tradition and presumably a tremendous expertise in this area.
Some 450 farmers grow soft fruit at Clonroche and my collegue from Wexford, Senator Doyle to whom I would like to give some of my time on this subject, would agree that many a smallholder is being kept on the land because of strawberries; 450 farmers grow strawberries in Wexford. The industry is worth about £7 million nationally, the bulk of which comes from Wexford.
It should also be noted that Clonroche is in the geographical centre of the soft fruit industry. That is a vital advantage because small farmers growing fruit can drive to the centre, they do not have to invite the adviser out at a cost, they may get advice and be back home within a few minutes. I am told these people will be referred to Oak Park if Clonroche is closed and I hope the Minister tonight will tell us it will not be closed following the views we will express this evening. Five million pounds worth of strawberries are exported each year; this should be taken seriously. Clonroche is the only horticultural centre dealing with soft fruit.
Bee-keeping is a small industry which earns for 2,000 beekeepers and for this country £1 million per year. The only active beekeeping centre in the country is situated at Clonroche where progeny testing is carried out for better strains and to upgrade the industry. If Clonroche is closed the industry and enterprise of soft fruit and beekeeping will stagnate at first and then slowly decline because it will not be possible to remain competitive if research and advice are not available on site for the small farmer.
I was interested in today's Irish Press, that TDs have received assurances about Belclare. The article says that last night two Fine Gael TDs claimed they were given assurances by Teagasc Chairman, Joe Rea, that Belclare Research Centre would not be closed under any circumstances. The report says that Enda Kenny and Galway East TD, Paul Connaughton, were given categoric and specific assurances by both Joe Rea and Teagasc's director, Dr. Pierce Ryan that the centre would not be closed down. Mr. Kenny last night reportedly called on the Teagasc board to honour that commitment and assurance. I understand that Teagasc are meeting today and I would like the Minister to confirm or deny what I quoted from the paper. It is important that we be told whether assurances can be given beforehand on a station that was to close down, and I am disappointed no such assurance was given about Clonroche. Are things happening in places other than where they should be happening?
Approximately, 1,500 strawberry pickers — adults and children — from County Wexford are involved in the industry. Children earn pocket money and money to buy schoolbooks because generally they come from the smaller type farms and the worst off families. Many a household appliance has been bought from the proceeds of strawberry picking.
Having made the case for keeping Clonroche open, I would like to raise the subject of cost. The annual cost of the centre at Clonroche, excluding staff because they will be redeployed is £170,000. The annual income to Clonroche from a commercial farm selling vegetables and soft fruit is £123,000. The centre currently costs the country about £50,000 per annum and living in that constituency and having benefited from research and advice at clonroche I can tell the House that it is worth a lot more than £50,000 and it would be crazy to close it down.
It has been brought to my attention today that the Gorey Teagasc office is to be closed. I would be very disappointed if that were the case. I am not absolutely sure about it and I would like the Minister's views. I know that Joe Rea is chairman of Teagasc, Dr. Pierce Ryan, a Wexford man, is director and Teagasc themselves will have a major say in what, if anything, should close. Centres and area offices earning their keep should not be interfered with. The figures I have mentioned tonight and which are possibly on the conservative side were given to me by a decent group of workers at Clonroche who did not seek high publicity; they put their case to me and I have put it before you. I appeal to the Minister tonight in the light of what I have said and considering the employment situation in Wexford, to ensure that Clonroche does not close.