Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 1258: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the progress made on the programme for Government proposal to increase the level of funding committed to agrifood research to more than €641 million under the national development plan with a further €289 million for investment in capital infrastructure and marketing for the food industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47722/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The National Development Plan 2007-2013 makes provision for the expenditure of €641m on Agri-Food Research over that period and my Department has also secured €13.67m in funding for collaborative research from the Inter-Departmental Committee (IDC) on Research and Technological Development.

Significant progress has been made in allocating funding for agri-food research. My Department provided over €100 million in Exchequer funding to Teagasc by way of Grant-in-Aid to support Teagasc's agri-food research programme and activities in 2007 and 2008. This funding supplements Teagasc's own generated income. My Department also funds grants for research, which has been undertaken by Teagasc and other research bodies following public calls for research proposals under the competitive Research Stimulus and FIRM programmes operated by my Department. Many projects are for three year periods.

The Research Stimulus Fund Programme supports public good research by third level research institutions to fill gaps in research into sustainable agricultural production. Following a new call in 2007, €21m including some IDC funding was awarded to a total of 38 projects in the areas of plant bioscience, agri-energy, agri-environment & agri economy & policy.

Under the Food Institutional Research Measure (FIRM), which supports public good research in the food area, €19 m was awarded in 2008 to food research institutions under a new call for projects in key areas of food research. This initiative supported research in the areas of food quality and safety, manufacturing & processing technologies, new uses for food and drink by-products, innovative food ingredients and products, and a 'Frontiers Theme' to fund the science base for new ideas to create future opportunities for the food industry public good research projects in 2008.

The Department has also awarded funding of €5m under a collaborative research initiative with the Marine Institute in the area of marine functional foods, and €20m under a Food for Health collaborative research initiative with the Health Research Board in the theme areas of "Food safety Monitoring and Surveillance", "Nutrigenomics", "Food Consumption databases" and "Nutritional Health in the Elderly". This included innovative collaborations with the Marine Institute and the Health Research Board.

The NDP also provides a further €289 million for investment in capital infrastructure and marketing for the food industry. To date under the NDP, €130 million has been announced in awards for capital investment projects. In addition, Bord Bia has received funding for marketing and promotion activities in the food and horticulture sectors.

Following the Government Decision on the rationalisation of State Agencies this European Marketing Section is to transfer to Bord Bia whose statutory function to promote, assist and develop the marketing of Irish food and livestock. As a result, the food, horticultural and seafood sectors should be better served by the combined expertise of an amalgamated body, which can bring together the synergies necessary to promote and market these sectors. The core elements of seafood marketing are common to those carried out by Bord Bia in other food sectors. This includes the provision of market research and intelligence, trade development activities and food and drink promotion.