Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 671: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding plans to create 5,000 jobs in the sugar beet and agricultural sector. [1593/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The EU Sugar Regime underwent a radical reform in 2005 and Greencore, the holder of the entire Irish sugar quota availed of the sugar restructuring scheme, dismantled its facilities and ceased production in 2006. Post reform production is now concentrated in 18 Member States. The present regime runs from 1 September 2006 to the 30 September 2015. There is no mechanism under the present EU Regulations which would allow for the re-instatement of the sugar quota for the growing of sugar beet in Ireland for the production of sugar.

I have strongly supported the abolition of sugar quotas from September 2015 as part of the CAP reform discussions in the Council of Ministers. In this regard, I have also met in 2011 with two separate groups who have conducted feasibility studies, into the possibility of establishing a sugar/bioethanol facility. At both meetings I stated that any venture to develop a combined sugar/bioethanol production facility would have to be a commercial proposition, financed in total by investors and interested parties and make sound economic sense in order to be viable.

The increased output in the agriculture sector envisaged under Food Harvest 2020 has the potential to create further employment in the SME, artisan food and in the processing sectors. Taking into account the countervailing trends in the processing sector towards further consolidation, lean manufacturing, and rationalisation at primary producer level, estimates suggest that a net gain of 6,500-7,000 jobs in the food sector, fisheries and aquaculture sector by 2020 is possible.

Prospects of increased employment in micro food companies, employing fewer than five employees are also good. These micro enterprises are not generally captured in statistics but are important local generators of employment and innovation.