asked the Minister for Agriculture if he plans to involve his Department directly in efforts to replace imported food products with home-produced products; the steps he has taken so far; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Food Imports Substitution.
476.
My Department is constantly involved in efforts to replace imported food with home-produced food products.
One of the problems identified in various reports on import substitution is the poor presentation and marketing of Irish food in comparison with imported products, particularly in the vegetable sector. Various steps have been taken to remedy this situation. A sum of £100,000 has been provided this year for the establishment of a national potato co-operative. Following discussions between my Department, ICOS and the IFA, the Irish Potato Farmers Co-operative Society Ltd was registered last March and 12 potato producer co-operative groups throughout the country have also been registered. A further sum of £120,000 has been provided for priming grants in the potato sector to enable firms to qualify for FEOGA grants under Regulation 355/77. I have also received Government approval for the introduction of legislation for the registration of growers and packers of potatoes for sale and I expect to introduce this legislation in the House in the present session. These measures are designed to bring about better organisation of potato production and marketing and should enable Irish suppliers to compete more effectively with imported produce.
As regards horticultural products generally, my Department is providing £75,000 over a three year period towards the salary and administrative costs of a market co-ordinator for the glasshouse industry. This should help to regulate the marketing of horticultural products. The Minister of State at my Department has also held meetings with supermarket owners with a view to (a) identifying the gaps that exist in the supply of Irish food products to retail outlets and (b) seeing what can be done to eliminate these gaps. These meetings centred mainly on horticultural products and further meetings are planned.
With regard to import substitution of food products generally, the recently published national plan accords a high priority to import substitution in the food sector. In the consideration of applications for industrial grants, priority will, in future, be given to products involving import substitution. In this regard it might be noted that many of the projects aimed at import substitution in the food sector also qualify for FEOGA grants under Regulation 355/77, which can bring grants up to 75 per cent in the disadvantaged areas of the West of Ireland and 50 per cent elsewhere. In the final analysis, however, it is a matter for the industry itself to avail of the very satisfactory range of grants available from national and EC sources.