Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 October 2004
51 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food her plans in the short and medium term for the food industry; the aspects of food policy which come under the remit of her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24488/04]
View answerAs Minister for Agriculture and Food, I have responsibility for the overall development of the food industry and, in co-operation with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, for the delivery of food safety in areas within the competence of the Department. The Department has in place detailed strategies for the development of agriculture and the food industry with the core aim of ensuring that agriculture and the food industry contribute to the maximum extent possible to the continued economic and social development of this country and to the maintenance of the physical environment.
I am awaiting the report of the agri vision 2015 committee which has, under the chairmanship of Mr. Alan Dukes, been set the task of reviewing the recommendations contained in the agri-food 2010 report in the context of developments over the past few years, including enlargement, WTO, the mid-term agreement and income and employment trends in agriculture and rural areas in general. This committee covers a wide spectrum of interests and will take into account the views of specialists and stakeholders. I expect to receive the report of the committee before the end of the year and it is my intention to examine it carefully in the context of policy formulation.
I firmly believe the future of Irish food producers and the industry lies in competitiveness, innovation and understanding of market trends. My strategy and that of the State agencies is to underpin the ongoing success of the food sector by facilitating the industry to maintain competitiveness and capacity to meet the demands of the market in terms of quality, convenience, price and product specification. Significant funding totalling €358 million is available under the National Development Plan 2000-2006 for capital investment, research, technology and innovation, marketing and promotion and human resources.
I am confident that these initiatives will assist the food industry to meet future opportunities and challenges and allow it to avail of the substantial growth opportunities that exist in this industry both on the home and export markets.
