Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 May 2017
230. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the level of Brexit funding specifically allocated to each such agency in budget 2017 on a Department-wide basis and in each State agency under his auspices in tabular form; the amount of this Brexit funding that has been expended to date in each State agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25163/17]
View answerThe 2017 budget for Bord Bia, the State Agency responsible for marketing and promotion of agri food and drink, is almost €61m. Bord Bia's activities in this area are all directly relevant to expanding market penetration and diversifying outlets for Irish food and drink against the background of Brexit. This budget includes an additional €2 million for Bord Bia to expand its programmes and activities in response to Brexit. Some €433,894 of this amount was spent in the period January to April.
My department will also be resourcing a market profiling exercise to be carried out by Bord Bia in 2017. This will be an invaluable tool for companies wishing to export food and drink and to my Department and its agencies in the context of prioritising their market access and development activities.
I am keeping the Department's response in relation to Brexit, including resource allocations, under close review as the negotiations proceed.
