Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 March 2012
497 Deputy Seamus Kirk asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has any initiative planned to tackle import substitution for food products; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13995/12]
View answerFood products trade freely within the Single Market of the European Union and import substitution measures are not permitted under EU law. Over 80% of Irish agricultural production is exported. The Single Market arrangement ensures access to our most important markets within the EU and contributed to the 25% increase in the value of exports achieved in the past two years. This is an important step towards achieving the ambitious growth targets in the Food Harvest 2020 Report.
