Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Project Ireland 2040 recognises that the agrifood sector is critical to the broader social and economic well-being of Ireland. In recognition of the importance of agriculture to Ireland's economy, there will be a focus on this topic in the new rural policies being introduced. One example of this is the Bia Innovator Campus at Athenry, which will be constructed soon, hopefully. It has been supported by my Department through the rural regeneration fund. The campus is expected to create a lot of jobs in the food innovation sector, with up to 280 being created in the first three years of operation. This is the type of project we need to put in place to provide sustainable jobs in rural areas. The forthcoming agrifood strategy to 2030 and Food Wise 2025 are also going to be reflected in our overall policy for rural development over the next five years.

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