Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 May 2015
369. Deputy Seamus Kirk asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his Department's strategy for tackling the high level of imports of food products that can be produced here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18594/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy view is that the best way of reducing imports of food products that can be produced here is by producing safe and high-quality produce domestically that consumers trust and want. That is why this Government has invested heavily in the development of a rigorous programme of food safety and traceability measures allowing us to trace from farm to fork. Not only do we implement EU legislative measures, but we go further with national food quality and controls systems to ensure that we are world leaders in food safety assurance.
Moreover, we are the only country in the world to have a national sustainability programme in place for our food and drink industry, which includes additional food safety checks; and measurable and audited sustainability targets for each farm and food business.
Of course there are sectors where imports comprise a greater proportion than we would like. One of these is the fruit and vegetables sector but the reality is that a high proportion of these imports occur at times when it would not be economically feasible to produce in Ireland, mainly during the winter months. To address this issue, my Department continues to provide grant aid for the sector to encourage innovation and to assist growers to compete with imports and to meet the high demands of the retail sector. In March of this year, approvals issued to 158 applicants involving grant aid of €5.7 million, and when fully drawn down, this will support grower investments to the value of over €14 million.
The Department also continues to support two Producer Organisations in the sector both Teagasc and Bord Bia work closely with the industry to provide technical advice and marketing expertise.
