Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have said many times that the only way to secure the future of the beef sector is through collaboration and dialogue. I have outlined in this House recent developments which will provide a pathway in that regard.

Having a shared vision and strategy development process has been crucial to the growth of the entire agrifood sector in recent years. The FoodWise 2025 strategy has been instrumental in providing a shared framework for the sector since its launch in 2015. I acknowledge that the agrifood sector is going through an unprecedented time of challenge and uncertainty. However, we should bear in mind that ours is a sector of resilience. It has faced many challenges in the past and has pulled through. We saw this most starkly during the economic crisis Deputy Deering mentioned earlier. It is worth bearing in mind the extraordinary 73% increase in the value of exports since 2009. Like all strategic plans, FoodWise 2025 must evolve and respond to rapidly changing context and circumstances. We are facing new challenges, in particular the unprecedented uncertainty posed by the possibility of a no-deal Brexit as well as a challenge for the sector to contribute effectively to climate action and ongoing concerns over the new European Union budget and CAP reform.

That challenging background makes it even more important for us to come together and agree a coherent plan for the sector for the decade ahead. As mentioned by earlier speakers, there are emerging opportunities for the sector in the bio-economy.

Hearing the views of all interested parties is an important part of the process in developing the new strategy. In this context I opened a public consultation on 31 July last composed of a public consultation paper that sets out some of the emerging challenges and trends, as well as an online survey. This will remain open until 1 October. I will also host a national stakeholder consultation event on 16 October, and more details of this will be announced shortly. The development of the next agrifood strategy will be a major milestone for the sector and I would urge all interested parties and groups and individuals to contribute to that.

On the wider rural development, the Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas, CEDRA, was established in November 2012 as an independent expert group to examine and report on the medium-term economic development of rural Ireland until 2025. The report of the commission, Energising Ireland's Rural Economy, was published in April 2014 and made 34 recommendations to Government that the commission argued would support the further development of the rural economy by creating a dynamic, adaptable, outward-looking and multi-sectoral economy. Following the formation of the new Government in 2016, responsibility for rural development policy was transferred from the Department for the Environment, Community and Local Government to the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. In July 2017, rural development policy became the responsibility of the newly formed Department of Rural and Community Development. In accordance with a commitment in the action plan for rural development, a review of the status of each recommendation contained in the CEDRA report was undertaken by the Department of Rural and Community Development in 2018. The review found that many of the recommendations contained in the CEDRA report had either been implemented or had been superseded or replaced by actions set out in the action plan for rural development.

In January 2017, Realising our Rural Potential, the action plan for rural development, was published. The action plan built on the CEDRA report and was the first whole-of-Government commitment to rural Ireland covering a wide range of social and economic issues. The action plan for rural development has been the primary vehicle for the implementation of the Government's support for rural development over the past three years. It contains more than 270 actions for delivery across Government, the majority of which have been substantially progressed. Delivery of the measures contained in the action plan will continue until the end of 2019. Progress on the implementation of the actions is overseen by a monitoring committee that includes senior representatives of relevant Departments and key rural stakeholder interests. Progress reports on the implementation of the action plan are published twice yearly. There has been significant investment in rural areas since the action plan was launched through schemes such as the town and village renewal scheme and the new rural regeneration and development fund, and it will amount to €1 billion over the next ten years.

The whole-of-Government approach of the action plan for rural development is bringing real and tangible benefits to rural areas. Investment is taking place across Government in measures that support rural business, rural communities and connectivity. The investment is driving job creation, providing new types of service, and enhancing the quality of life in rural Ireland. My colleague, the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Ring, informs me that the action plan for rural development is reaching the end of its three-year life cycle at the end of 2019 and his Department is in the process of developing a new rural development policy to succeed that action plan from 2020. The next phase will build on progress since 2017 and will focus on building the resilience of rural communities and the diversification of rural economies. The new rural policy will be forward looking and will focus on building the resilience of rural communities in a period of emerging challenges, which include Brexit, climate change, new technologies and the transformation of traditional industrial sectors. As was the case with the action plan for rural development, the new policy will reflect a whole-of-Government commitment to rural Ireland and will take account of other key policy initiatives such as Project Ireland 2040, future jobs Ireland, the Government's climate action plan, and my Department's agrifood policy to 2030. It is envisaged that the new rural policy 2020-2025 will be published in January next year.

The agreement reached by the beef stakeholders following the talks I facilitated over the weekend of 14-15 September, including the establishment of a beef market task force, has the potential to develop a sustainable pathway for the future of the beef sector in terms of economic, environmental and social sustainability. The establishment of the first beef producer organisation in Ireland earlier this month is a significant milestone for the sector, strengthening the position of the primary producer in the supply chain. I hope that many more producer organisations will be established in the not too distant future.

The Government is committed to strategic rural development, including new plans in the agrifood sector and for wider rural development policy. I urge all stakeholders to engage in the planning process and to contribute positively to the future in rural Ireland.

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