Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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107. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the level of investment his Department is making in horticulture; if his Department liaises with local authorities to foster a greater appreciation of horticulture, especially in urban areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27932/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector provides financial support for the development of the horticulture sector, by grant aiding capital investments in specialised plant and equipment as well as emerging technologies specific to commercial horticulture production. The Scheme aims to facilitate environmentally friendly practices, promote the diversification of on-farm activities, improve the quality of products and improve working conditions.

The 2015 round of the Scheme was heavily oversubscribed with applicants seeking in excess of €8.5m in aid when the approved 2015 budget for the Scheme was €4.2m.

Each individual proposed investment is assessed on its merits by a Selection Committee established to award funding. The Selection Committee decides which horticulture-specific investments would make the strongest contribution to the objectives of the Scheme within the available budget.

As the Scheme is targeted at commercial producers of horticultural products, the Department has very limited involvement with local authorities in fostering urban horticulture. However, under the CEDRA remit for which Minister of State Phelan has responsibility, a new pilot scheme will be advertised very shortly to assist social farming operations. Social farming offers work experience on farms, horticultural operations or with animals to people, many of whom are from urban areas, who avail of a range of day support services and as such provides a range of benefits to farm families, service users and society as a whole.

Bord Bia also has some limited involvement with Local Authorities in the urban Horticulture arena. Such involvement includes: amenity horticulture businesses use their Bord Bia Quality Programme certification when tendering to provide product and services to local authorities. Dublin City Council have been involved with the Bloom event and during 2015 supported the Bloom fringe activity in the City and activity on site. The organisation of certain horticulture events organised at public authority venues, such as the Rare and Special Plant Fair.

My Department also funds the Food Dudes programme managed by Bord Bia. This aims to increase children’s fruit and vegetable consumption by repeat tasting, supported by role models (Food Dudes Heroes) and small rewards. The original programme was completed in 2014 having reached 477,423 primary school children in 3,127 schools (95% of primary schools).

A Boost Programme commenced in primary schools in 2014 with the Junior Cycle tasting fruit and vegetables daily for a 16 day period and the Senior Cycle enjoying 4 tasting days. Additional Department and EU funding under the EU School Fruit and Vegetables Scheme will double the reach of Food Dudes/EU School Fruit and Vegetables Scheme over two years to 800 schools and 160,000 children in 2015/2016, compared to 390 schools and 70,000 children in the 2013/2014 school year.

The programme has been evaluated a number of times and shown to increase fruit and vegetable consumption and that this is sustained over time.