Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 April 2017
299. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will undertake a review of Food Wise 2025 in view of the fact that the targets in the strategy were forecast on the assumption that the UK remains within the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19051/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFood Wise 2025, the ten year strategy for the agri-food sector published in July 2015, identifies the opportunities and challenges facing the sector and provides an enabling strategy that will allow the sector to grow and prosper. It includes more than 400 specific recommendations spread across the cross-cutting themes of sustainability, innovation, human capital, market development and competitiveness, as well as specific sectoral recommendations.
Food Wise is a vision for the sector developed by stakeholders and facilitated by my department. As regards reviewing the strategy in the light of Brexit, it is important to understand that Food Wise 2025 is, in fact, a living and evolving strategy. I chair quarterly meetings of the High Level Implementation Committee (HLIC), with high level representatives from all the relevant Departments and State agencies. The committee reviews progress on detailed actions on a quarterly basis, in order to identify and solve problems quickly. Brexit has now been included as a standard item on the agenda of each meeting of the HLIC.
It is not yet clear what the final outcome of the UK's Brexit decision will be. While the value of agri food exports to the UK declined in 2016, primarily as a result of the reduction in the value of sterling, the overall value of exports increased. A hard Brexit involving the imposition of WTO tariffs would have a more significant adverse effect on the value of exports, but our stated aim is to avoid such a scenario.
In either event, while recognising the challenges, I do not believe that it would be appropriate to reduce our ambition for the sector at this juncture. Furthermore, it is clear that the implementation of the Food Wise recommendations, particularly those related to market development, competitiveness and innovation, will assume even greater importance in the light of the UK decision, regardless of the ultimate outcome.
