Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
442. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which research facilities remain available to the horticulture sector with particular reference to the need to provide for long-term back up in respect of research and support given, which is pivotal to the industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Simon Coveney (Minister, Department of Agriculture, the Marine and Food; Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Under Teagasc’s Rationalisation Programme 2009-13 it was decided to consolidate Teagasc research activities in the Dublin area at one location, Teagasc’s Ashtown Food Centre. As part of this process, the horticulture research and knowledge transfer activities at Kinsealy were to be located in new facilities in Ashtown.
The laboratory operations have already moved from Kinsealy to state of the art laboratories in Ashtown. However, an appeal to An Bord Pleanála lodged in June 2013, delayed progress in other areas. Fortunately, this appeal has been satisfactorily resolved recently and further building works are planned to commence shortly. When these building works are completed, all horticultural research and knowledge transfer facilities in the Dublin area will be based in state of the art facilities in Ashtown.
In addition, to complement its horticultural research activities, Teagasc has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Horticulture Development Company, UK. This Memorandum of Understanding is operating to the benefit of both organisations since 2011. Teagasc currently has a number of post-graduate students involved in horticultural research projects that are jointly funded by Teagasc and the Horticulture Development Company.
