Minister’s role in Greencore

DEPARTMENT of Agriculture sources have said Agriculture Minister Mary Coughlan will consider the matter with her legal advisers, if and when her consent is needed for disposal of more than 20% of Greencore’s Carlow and Mallow sugar assets.

"These assets comprise buildings, lands, machinery and plant. We have not yet reached the stage where the Minister’s consent might be refused, because it has not yet been sought”, the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food was told by Department official Bridie O’Neill. She confirmed that Greencore cannot dispose of the controlling interest in Irish Sugar Limited or its sugar assets without the Minister’s consent. But the special share does not empower the Minister to become involved in operational matters, such as a decision to use facilities for bioethanol production.

Ms O’Neill said the Minister raised with Greencore the possibility of using Mallow for ethanol, but was informed the company does not intend to produce bioethanol there.

The EU sugar reform provides for 100% restructuring aid (of which at least 10% is to be reserved for growers and contractors) where a sugar manufacturer renounces its quota and completely dismantles a sugar factory.

If a closing sugar facility is partially dismantled and used for non-sugar production, such as bioethanol, the rate of aid is 75%.