Jack Wall
Ceist:10 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food her plans to promote research into further adding value to food commodities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24505/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 13 October 2004
Ceisteanna (9)
Freagraí ó Béal (3 píosaí cainte)
I thank Deputies on both sides of the House for their good wishes and kind remarks.
Under the National Development Plan 2000-2006 significant funding is provided for specific food related initiatives, including capital investment, marketing, human resources and research and development. Investment in research and development, innovation and new product development are key to maximising the food industry's competitiveness and ability to respond to changing market requirements. The national development plan provides funding for food research both through the food institutional research measure and by way of funding for in-company research.
The food institutional research measure administered by the Department provides funding for public good food research. The programme and its predecessor have, over a ten year period, provided the Irish food sector with a significant research base in science and technology and a cadre of highly qualified researchers. The measure is available to universities, institutes of technology and Teagasc. Since 2000 over €55 million has been allocated to 114 projects. The themes funded include food safety, new and innovative products, food ingredients, flavourings, consumer foods and nutrition and health. Almost €28 million has been paid on foot of research completed to date. As a follow on to the awards announced in September, the Department is arranging for a specific call for research proposals in the area of food safety and is considering an initiative to target research, which would be of benefit to the speciality food sector.
The in-company research measure is administered by Enterprise Ireland which has allocated almost €20 million since the commencement of the national development plan for the purpose of in-company research and technology transfer. Recent interest in the measure has focused on the areas of nutritional and functional foods. The Department will continue to work with Enterprise Ireland to ensure that the Irish food industry scales up investment in research and development activity, which will have substantial spin-off benefits for the sector's competitiveness and for the wider economy.
I thank the Minister of State. I am pleased to hear of the commitment to ongoing investment in research and technology. It will be more critical than ever given the change in the direction that agriculture inevitably will have to take post Fischler. Serious consideration will have to be given to small producers and how to support them in terms of research, development and innovation. They are in a different category from the large multinationals and will not be able to stand alone. They need a different level of support to allow them develop and grow. What is the Minister of State's view on our science and agriculture graduates who are well trained and in whom we have invested a good deal of money? I am beginning to appreciate that it is not always easy for them to get jobs in the food development area. Perhaps that issue could be looked at with a view to having it refocused and redirected.
We are fortunate to have research centres of excellence such as University College Cork, the Teagasc dairy research centre at Moorepark and the National Food Centre in Dublin. Greater opportunities will be available for graduates and specialists in those areas to carry out further research. The Department will issue a bid for more proposals for further research. The Department and Enterprise Ireland have set up a small working group to examine initiatives based on research produce coming forward which would assist the Irish food industry to scale up investment in research and development activity. That will have substantial spin-off benefits for the sector's competitiveness and for the wider economy. The food institutional research measure, through the Relay project which is administered by Teagasc, allows the centres to disseminate the information to all interested bodies. The result is not confined to those who carry out the research but is available to the entire food industry and all interested parties. It is an important factor that research which is funded by the taxpayer and carried out by the institutes of technology or Teagasc is available to the entire industry.