Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 237: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food his development programme for the poultry sector over the next five years; the degree to which this relates to progress over the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22265/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The farm gate value of Irish-produced poultry meat is thought to be approximately €150 million. Despite considerable competition from imports the domestic industry has proven to be quite resilient in recent years. The majority of Irish product is consumed in this country with exports focussing largely on by-products. The target over the medium term is to increase the share of the Irish poultry meat market being supplied by Irish producers. The development of high standards of food quality has been a particular focus for my Department and its agencies and to this end Bord Bia is developing and enhancing policies with regard to Poultry Quality Assurance.

Additional funding will be made available through the revised Rural Development Programme 2007 – 2013 to assist growers in the transition to enriched cage systems of production. In relation to future policy the Deputy will be aware that earlier this year, I established the 2020 Committee, comprising senior and respected figures from a range of stakeholders in the agri-food sectors. The group's remit is to make recommendations for a strategy for the agri-food sector, including the poultry sector, for the coming decade. This process is well advanced and I expect its output to help to set a clear way forward for the poultrymeat and other sectors.