Ireland’s revived sugar industry will create 3,000 jobs and generate €250m annually when EU sugar quotas are removed from 2017, according to Beet Ireland chairman Michael Hoey.

The joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine expressed cross-party support yesterday for a revival of the sugar industry, but suggested that the two main sugar groups should adopt a joint approach.

A REVIVAL of the sugar sector could sustain up to 5,000 jobs, according to a feasibility study produced by an expert industry group and verified by PWC.