Eamon Gilmore
Ceist:19 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will make a statement on the progress of Bord Glas in developing the horticultural industry.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Horticultural Industry Development.
I would refer the Deputy to the reply to Question No. 142 of 4 December 1990, volume 403, No. 4 column 856 to 857.
The statutory board, set up under the Bord Glas Act, 1990, have recently finalised their recruitment of staff. Estimates of horticultural output for 1990 show that a number of sectors, such as mushrooms, hardy nursery stock and soft fruit, are making satisfactory progress. Progress has also been achieved in production and exports of some field vegetables such as cauliflower and celery.
In the potato sector the board have co-funded the employment of a market coordinator by the IFA with a view to bringing more order and organisation into this area.
Some 990 full-time and 850 part-time jobs have been created in horticulture since the interim Bord Glas were established in 1987.
An Bord Glas have been encouraging increased investment in horticulture. It is expected that the funds being made available under the operational programme for rural development for the three year period up to the end of 1993 will be instrumental in achieving a substantial increase in investment in the sector.
I do not have the Minister's reply to Question No. 142 of 4 December in front of me but I will study it later. I am surprised at the Minister's reply. He did not seem to indicate that any progress had been made since An Bord Glas were established under an Act of the Oireachtas on 21 February 1990, 15 months ago. It would seem from what the Minister said that they are still trying to get staff. Is the Minister saying that An Bord Glas have not gone into business and that the interim Bord Glas set up in 1987 are still in operation? It appears that nothing has happened since the Act setting up An Bord Glas was passed. An Bord Glas seem to be a dead body. The rumours in regard to the importation of vegetables by people connected with them are disturbing. In reply to a parliamentary question from Deputy Deenihan on 23 April, the Taoiseach said that imports of fruit and vegetables amounted to £217 million in 1990.
I have to dissuade the Deputy from quoting at Question Time. It is not in order.
Why does the Deputy not quote the figures for 1985-86.
Last year's figure was much higher than the figure for 1985-86.
No distinction was made in that reply between imports of fruit and imports of vegetables. I do not put any blame on the Minister with responsibility for horticulture for fruit imports. A figure of £620 million has been given for imports of fruit but obviously, this was an error and should have been £62 million or a figure in that region. That was the only reply I could find which referred to the amount of vegetables imported. Will the Minister explain why this figure is so high and how An Bord Glas have improved the situation since they were set up?
I am surprised at Deputy Mac Giolla's observation in relation to An Bord Glas. They operated as an interim board until recently when they were established on a statutory basis. They have completed the recruitment of staff. The interim board worked well but naturally when they assumed their statutory role they became even more significant. Clearly we are very much on target in reaching the number of jobs set in the development programme. We have created 990 full-time jobs and 850 part-time jobs.
In four years.
If this cannot be used as a barometer of the progress which has been made I do not know what can.
The point so far as the industry is concerned is that the major development has been taking place in exports. There has been a very significant development in mushroom production which by its very nature is tailor made for our small farm structure. A significant number of jobs have been created in that sector. For example, in 1987 mushroom exports were valued at £12.9 million while exports for 1990 are estimated at £35 million and are expected to reach £45 million by 1992. Developments have also been made in the export of celery to niche markets in Britain from areas in north County Dublin and elsewhere. The reality is that we are rapidly coming to terms with the areas which have potential for import substitution. It would be simplistic for me to say that every area under the general umbrella of horticulture has potential for 100 per cent import substitution. That is not the position because of climatic considerations, economies of scale and inbuilt disadvantages with which we have to contend.
The board have appointed four marketing executives and I can assure the Deputy that they are actively working alongside their sister body Teagasc, who have responsibility for research and develoment, in accelerating development. We introduced the grant-aid scheme for potatoes under the operational programme and a new scheme for commercial horticulture. The fact that 506 applications were submitted up to 31 March last clearly indicates the increasing interest by those in the industry to get projects under way. The figures I have given for the number of jobs created and the volume of exports in the mushroom sector clearly underline the wellbeing of the industry as a whole.
What is the projected figure for mushroom exports in 1992?
It is £45 million.
Will the Minister set up pilot schemes for other produce to enable people who have experience in the mushroom industry to expand their operations? A co-ordinated sales strategy in these areas could be developed to our advantage.
I can assure Deputy Leonard, who has a particular interest in the develoment of this because of the importance of mushroom production in counties Monaghan and Cavan, that every area which has potential for development will be pursued. It is a question of setting up a suitable working arrangement with the different sectors and creating the necessary ambience for progress. I am glad to be able to say that there has been a significant change in attitude. There is now a cohesiveness and togetherness of effort which did not exist previously.
May I ask the Minister the value of potato imports during the last year for which he has figures — I presume this would be 1990? Will he tell us the value of the potato crop grown here in 1990?
The value of the crop grown is approximately £50 million. I do not have specific figures for potato imports——
It is worthy of a separate question.
——but they are considerably less than in the eighties.