Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 25: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the way the agri-food sector can contribute to economic revival here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27718/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The agri-food sector is contributing to the country's economic recovery through its significant role in adding value to the economy and its contribution to the export led recovery. CSO data shows that Ireland's agri-food exports increased by 11% in 2010, reaching almost €8 billion. This sector is continuing to improve in 2011 with current figures showing a 14% improvement in the first six months of 2011 vis a vis the same period in 2010 and final year projections are of the order of €8.9 billion.

The agri-food sector plays a particularly strong role in encouraging domestic expenditure. Analysis shows that more than 70% of its expenditure is on Irish goods and services. This, allied to its lower level of profit repatriation, means that its contribution to the Irish economy is significantly greater than that of other manufacturing industries.

The Deputy should also be aware of the embedded nature of this sector which according to the Census of Agricultural Production has

An annual turnover of €22billion, which is 20% of industries turnover

Accounts for 18% of Ireland's total industrial output and

Provides an outlet for produce from Ireland's 128,000 farms and is the main employment for circa 135,000 people

The major policy initiative which I am pursuing to ensure that this important indigenous sector continues to contribute to our economic recovery is through the implementation of Food Harvest 2020. This provides a pathway to growth and specific targets to be achieved for the primary (33% increase), the value added (40%) and the export sectors (40%) by 2020.

I am personally driving progress on this report, and through the efforts of the High Level Implementation Committee, I consider that good progress has been made in the past year as illustrated by the above export figures. Details of all initiatives being pursued to date have been published in 'Milestones for Success'. This, the first progress report on Food Harvest 2020 implementation, was published this July and is available on the Department's website at www.agriculture.gov.ie. In summary, 'Milestones for Success' indicates that action has already commenced on 91% of the 215 recommendations in FH2020 and the publication contains a link which details the progress made on all of these recommendations. It also itemises 54 actions already taken over the past year by my Department and relevant State Agencies on Acting Smart, Thinking Green and Achieving Growth; the key themes of FH2020.

In addition, I have set myself and the agencies working with me on this critically important project, a series of 40 tasks to be completed by end July 2012. To make sure that these plans remain on track, the HLIC and myself have agreed quarterly targets which will help monitor progress and I will assess the first report on progress at the first FH-HLIC meeting in 2012. Another monitoring mechanism was the decision to set interim milestones for 2013 and 2105 and all parties are committed to meeting these milestones.