Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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247. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which employment levels continue to remain stable in the agri-food and seafood sectors; the degree to which opportunities for expansion remain; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49429/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The CSO’s recently published Quarterly National Household Survey (Quarter 3 2014) showed that employment in the agri-food sector overall, and in its component parts, has reached 168,600, up from 145,500 at end 2009. Based on the latest data, this sector represents circa 8.8% of national employment. As the Deputy is aware, the CSO figures are based on sample surveys and some stability in their figures has been evident in recent quarters following the introduction of new samples post-Census 2011. The positive CSO employment results above are borne out by annual surveys which Enterprise Ireland and BIM carry out on all their food industry clients. These provide an accurate assessment of company employment trends since 2009 and show that employment levels for EI food and beverage client companies rose from 38,784 at end 2009 to 42,212 in 2013, while employment for BIM seafood processing clients also rose by 450 in the same period. 

Food Harvest 2020 identified particular potential for direct and indirect employment gains in the dairy, seafood and beverage sectors. Progress to date on these and other targets is set out in the ‘Milestones for Success 2014’ report, published in September.

I recently announced the establishment of a new committee, chaired by John Moloney, with responsibility for developing a strategy up to 2025. Background documents and a consultative questionnaire are available on my Department’s website, and I would urge any interested parties to make a submission before the consultation deadline of 9 January.