Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 155: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which efforts have been made to restore the sugar industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23566/12]

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. I also raised the issue with Commissioner Ciolos during his recent visit to Ireland. In 2011 I met 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.