Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 370: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the Programme for Government to increase research and development funding for projects in the sector to fully exploit its potential for new products. [18148/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has consistently promoted food research through direct funding of public good research under the FIRM, the Food Institutional Research Measure, and encouragement of cross Departmental and agency initiatives. In November 2007 an amount of €5.5m was awarded to a Teagasc led research consortium in the area of marine functional foods. This followed a joint call for research proposals by my Department and the Marine Institute. The aim of the initiative is to optimise the research capacity and capabilities in functional foods/ingredients so as to realise the scientific and economic potential of the functional foods sector.

In February 2008 proposals for funding under the Food Institutional Research Measure were invited from research institutions under the following theme areas:

Food Manufacturing & Processing Technologies:

New uses for Food and Drink By-Products

New and Innovative Food Ingredients and Products

Food Quality & Safety

Frontiers Research

The innovative food ingredients theme included elements specific to the dairy sector:

a. Novel and/or biofunctional ingredients — their delivery and application in the meat, beverages, cheese and snack food sectors.

b. Development of healthy snack products for the cereal and vegetable sector.

c. Diversification of the cheese product portfolio including new and innovative applications for cheese and ingredient-type cheese

In 2007 the Government approved grant assistance of €6.5 million provided by Enterprise Ireland to support investment of €21 million by Glanbia in a major expansion to their Innovation Centre in Kilkenny. The investment will see 23 additional highly qualified R&D jobs at the Centre on top of the 25 already in place, making it the largest dedicated R&D centre for a dairy food company in Ireland. This type of investment meets national objectives under my Department's Agri Vision 2015 Plan of Action, which encourages companies to move towards higher value added products.

I was also pleased that Teagasc Moorepark have been awarded funding under the European Framework Programme (FP7) in relation to participation in a programme to develop innovative and practical breeding tools for improved dairy products from more robust dairy cattle.