Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 42: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will investigate the possibility of re-establishing the sugar beet industry here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36185/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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As part of the reform of the EU sugar regime in 2006, a temporary restructuring scheme was introduced with the aim of reducing EU sugar production in order to comply with WTO and other international obligations. The scheme provided an incentive for sugar processors to renounce sugar quota and dismantle the associated sugar processing plant and it provided compensation for affected stakeholders. Greencore, the sole Irish sugar processor and holder of the entire Irish quota allocation, decided to avail of this scheme and accordingly the company renounced the quota and dismantled the last remaining Irish sugar factory at Mallow in compliance with the conditions of the scheme. This brought the Irish sugar industry to an end. The stakeholders concerned have now received their compensation payments in full.

As a result of the restructuring scheme the overall EU sugar quota was reduced by almost 6 million tonnes, of which the Irish quota contributed some 200,000 tonnes. Any proposal to review the EU sugar quota would be a matter for the EU Commission in the first instance and any proposal to re-establish a sugar factory in Ireland would, subject to the availability of quota, be a matter for commercial decision by interested parties.