Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 192: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of meetings of the Food Agency Co-Operation Council in 2004, 2005 and to date in 2006; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32765/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The Food Agency Co-operation Council met on 20 occasions between 2000 and 2003 to promote co-operation between the State Agencies involved in the food industry. Since 2004 the food development agencies directly concerned with the National Development Plan 2000-2006 have met periodically to assess progress under the Plan. Two meetings were held in 2004 and one each in 2005 and 2006 while my Department was examining future arrangements in the light of changes in the CAP and the 2015 Agri-Vision Report.

Arising from this, the Agri-Vision 2015 Plan of Action, which I launched earlier this year, included the establishment of a high level group of CEOs of food agencies, chaired at Ministerial level. The inaugural meeting of the Agency CEO Group, which subsumes and replaces the Food Agency Co-operation Council, took place on 18 July 2006.