asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food his views on whether the time is ripe for the setting up of a special task force for the food industry.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Food Industry Task Force.
37.
An office of the food industry has already been set up to promote the development of the food sector. In consultation with the IDA, a five year strategy for the industry has been drawn up which identifies the opportunities for growth and expansion and outlines policy options to be followed. Implementation of the strategy is already under way with major investment programmes announced for the pigmeat, beef and dairying sectors. In these circumstances I do not see any need for the setting up of a special task force for the industry.
Is it not a fact that the secondary food processing and the added-value food processing sectors of the food industry have been in steady decline during the past few years? Would the Minister of State not agree that the Irish grocery trade is now dominated by imported products and that some immediate Government initiative is required to provide a package of innovations, marketing, product development and market research to enable indigenous manufacturers to upgrade their operations so as to enable them to compete for market share both at home and abroad? Would the Minister of State also not agree that the efforts in the food field are too disparate and that what is required is a cohesive task force to weld the various agencies into one vibrant unit?
I do not agree with the Deputy's analysis of the problem. The fact of the matter is that this sector of the industry has been given intensive care over the past year and there has been substantial investment in processing and marketing.
I put it to the Minister of State that the patient is still in hospital.
In Barringtons.
He would have been discharged if he had been in Barringtons.
Last year Irish food exports exceeded £2,500 million and substitutable imports are valued at about £250 million. That is a good ratio for an open economy. In relation to research and development, over the past 12 months we established a national food research centre, in the process bringing together the IIRS and AFT. This week all of the interests in the food industry came together here in Dublin to look at the non-domestic grocery trade, particularly the market in the UK which is worth £30 billion. I think our firms would be better employed in seeking access to that market rather than in cannibalising one another here in the domestic market.
I fully agree with the Minister of State's final remark but I put it to him for the very reasons I outlined that they seem to be unable to agree on the right course of action. I put it to him also that some Government initiative is required and I accept that he has taken some steps in that direction. Some initiative will have to be taken if these people will not or cannot do it for themselves.