Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 62: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of meetings of the Food Agency Co-operation Council in 2004, 2005 and 2006; the number of times that its successor the high level group of CEOs has held meetings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8848/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The Food Agency Co-operation Council (FACC) met on 20 occasions between 2000 and 2003 to promote co-operation between the State Agencies involved in the food industry. In subsequent years the food development agencies directly concerned with the National Development Plan 2000-2006 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 last year, included the establishment of a high level group of CEOs of food agencies, chaired at Ministerial level. This group has met twice in July 2006 and February 2007. In addition the agencies have been brought together on five separate occasions at regional level since November 2005 to participate in the AV 2015 Food Fora to encourage the development of regional and local food enterprises.

Under the Agri-Vision 2015 Plan of Action, the Food Agency CEO Group is complemented by Food Industry Groups, also at CEO level, and chaired at Ministerial level. These groupings, working side by side, ensure a co-ordinated approach to addressing the issues arising for the food sector generally and in relation to realising the objectives set out in Agri-Vison 2015.