Síle de Valera
Ceist:18 Miss de Valera asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the extra funds, if any, he has provided for beef promotion since the start of the BSE crisis. [8428/97]
Written Answers. - Beef Promotion Funding.
Statutory responsibility for the promotion of Irish food, including beef, is vested in An Bord Bia. To assist it in carrying out that function the board receives an annual grant-in-aid from the Exchequer and an allocation of EU funds under the marketing and promotion measure of the Structural Fund Food Sub-Programme. The amounts involved are substantial and, consequently, I have not found it necessary to provide extra funding to cater for additional promotional work necessitated by the BSE crisis. At the onset of that crisis the board engaged in an extensive information and promotional programme as a result of which, and as was announced last week, significant progress has been made in restoring consumption of Irish beef.