9 Jul 2012, 16:31
The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine will meet with Beet Ireland and the Sugar Bio Refinery Group tomorrow Tuesday 10 July. The Committee will explore with the two groups how the Irish sugar beet industry can be revived.
The Irish Sugar Bio-Refinery Group will outline their feasibility study on the establishment of a €350 million bio-refinery plant in the Southeast, with the potential to generate up to 5,000 jobs. Beet Ireland will present a business case for redeveloping the Irish sugar industry on twin pillars of value-added sugar and bio-ethanol production.
Chairman of the Committee Andrew Doyle TD says: “Our Committee looks forward to hearing from two groups who have carried out considerable research on how a sustainable sugar industry in Ireland can be re-established. With European sugar prices at an all-time high and the European Commission considering ending its quota system after 2015, the groups believe that a window of opportunity exists to revitalise the industry.
“The Committee has a longstanding desire to explore all options towards establishing a competitive sugar industry. We raised the issues with EU Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolos earlier in the year and expect tomorrow’s exchanges to inform us further on the most appropriate way forward to stimulate the industry.”
This meeting will take place 2 pm tomorrow, Tuesday 10 July in Committee Room 3, Leinster House 2000.
Committee proceedings can be followed live here.
Ends
For further information contact:
Paul Hand,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +3531 618 4484
M: +353 87 6949926
F: +3531 618 4551
paul.hand@oireachtas.ie
Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine - Membership
Deputies:
Tom Barry, Fine Gael
Michael Colreavy, Sinn Féin
Pat Deering, Fine Gael
Andrew Doyle, Fine Gael
Martin Heydon, Fine Gael
Colm Keaveney, Labour
Michael McNamara, Labour
Michael Moynihan, Fianna Fáil
Thomas Pringle, Independent
Senators:
Michael Comiskey , Fine Gael
Paschal Mooney, Fianna Fáil
Pat O’Neill, Fine Gael
Mary Ann O’Brien, Independent
Brian Ó Domhnaill, Fianna Fáil
Susan O’Keeffe, Labour