Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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986. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the numbers employed in the agrifood industry continue to remain constant or if they have increased over the past number of years; his views on its future prospects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9438/16]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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1000. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if numbers employed in the agrifood industry remain constant or if they have increased over the past number of years; if he is satisfied with the future prospects of the sector in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9576/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 986 and 1000 together.

The CSO’s four Quarterly National Household Surveys in 2015 showed that employment in the agri-food sector overall, including all its component parts, averaged approaching 170,000 throughout the year. Based on the latest quarter’s data, the sector represents circa 8.1% of national employment.

Food Wise 2025, the new ten year strategy for the agri-food sector published in July last year identifies the opportunities and challenges facing the sector and provides an enabling strategy that will allow the sector to grow and prosper. Food Wise includes more than 400 specific recommendations, spread across the cross-cutting themes of sustainability, innovation, human capital, market development and competitiveness; as well as specific sectoral recommendations.

If these recommendations are implemented, the expert committee which drew up the Food Wise 2025 Strategy believes that the following growth projections are achievable by 2025: increasing the value of agri-food exports by 85% to €19 billion; increasing value added in the sector by 70% to in excess of €13 billion; and increasing the value of primary production by 65% to almost €10 billion. With regard to employment, Food Wise foresees the creation of 23,000 additional jobs in the agri-food sector all along the supply chain from primary production to high value added product development. Realising these growth projections will be challenging, but I am confident that they can be achieved.

The Government is strongly committed to the implementation of the Food Wise strategy. I will chair the fourth meeting of the High Level Implementation Committee, including senior officials from relevant Departments and State agencies, in mid-June.