Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

No one would be happier than me to see the sugar industry back in Ireland again. I have delivered many tractor-loads of sugar beet into what was a viable and profitable beet factory in Mallow. I have produced beet and have a reasonable understanding of that industry. Along with many others, I was sceptical and critical of how that industry ended in Ireland.

I do not believe the question of whether the business was privatised at the time would have made a difference. The Government at the time made the decision to end the sugar industry in Ireland, which I am sure Deputy Ó Cuív knows all about. This Government, through me, has provided the opportunity for this industry to re-emerge. We fought hard for the abolition of sugar quotas and it is now up to the industry to put together a proposition around rebuilding a sugar, probably linked with ethanol, plant in the future and to make the numbers in that regard add up.

I have met with two different consortia on this issue, both of whom are, in my view, very credible. I have remained in contact with one of them. There are very good people involved, including people like Mick Hoey from Country Crest and others, who are giving great leadership in this area. This is a significant commercial proposition. It will cost between €250 million and €350 million to build a significant processing plant of the scale required to compete in the European sugar processing area. I hope it can happen. The Government will be as supportive as it can be. However, I will not subsidise an industry only to find in the future I cannot further subsidise it and it collapses. This industry must be able to stand on its own two feet. I believe it has a fighting chance. There are great people involved in trying to make it happen. I hope it will happen. Time is on their side because sugar quotas remain in place until 2017. There is a great deal of credible work going on to make this happen.

See this speech in context