Since becoming Minister, and as Chair of the High Level Implementation Committee (HLIC) for Food Harvest 2020, I have whole-heartedly embraced the Food Harvest 2020 (FH2020) strategy and I am totally committed to ensuring its success. Coordination of the State contribution to FH 2020 is being overseen by this Committee which includes representatives from Bord Bia, Teagasc, Bord Iascaigh Mhara, Enterprise Ireland, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and my Department. The HLIC also engages regularly with various private sector groups with a key role in FH2020. Implementation of many of the key measures needed to achieve the growth figures set out in the report is a matter for private sector actors including industry and individual farmers.
As a high level strategic vision, the Food Harvest 2020 report does not contain implementation plans related to specific sites, including Natura 2000 sites. However, my Department and the HLIC are acutely aware of the need to ensure that appropriate assessment and strategic environmental analysis are considered, in line with the relevant EU Directives, and carried out where required, in the course of achieving the targets set out in the report.
The HLIC committee recognised that the broad strategic targets in the report could be achieved in a variety of ways and determined that an independent environmental analysis should be commissioned of various possible scenarios through which the targets set out in the report could be achieved. The results of this analysis will inform the implementation of measures by all relevant actors, including those in the private sector. An independent team of experienced consultants with expertise in both agriculture and environmental assessment has been procured by my Department to carry out this work. The team has presented a detailed interim report to the HLIC and is due to present its final report by the end of October.
The analysis is in line with the strategic environmental assessment process and includes the likely impacts of achieving the targets, through a number of scenarios, including; biodiversity, flora/fauna, water, including groundwater quality, soil, air quality, landscape and climatic factors including impacts on greenhouse gas emission levels. My Department is considering if the analysis should include an appropriate assessment under the Habitats Directive, and in this regard we are engaged in discussions with the European Commission.
As part of the analysis process my Department has facilitated a public consultation, with details of the consultation posted on my Department’s website on 11 May 2012 and advertised in the Irish Independent on 16 May 2012 with a closing date of 28 June 2012 so that submissions could inform the work of the consultants in preparation of the interim report. Following representations from a number of interested parties, my Department extended the closing date to 6 July 2012, representing an eight week consultation period. Any further submissions received after the deadline, are also being forwarded to the consultants to inform their final report.
