475. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether his Department has identified any fruit or vegetable supply chains where Ireland is particularly dependent on countries or regions considered highly vulnerable to climate change; the products concerned; and the measures being taken to reduce the risk of future disruption. [67061/26]

476. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in respect of the top 20 countries from which Ireland imports fresh fruit and vegetables, if his Department has assessed the exposure of these supply chains to climate-change risks, including drought, flooding, extreme heat, water scarcity and changing growing conditions. [67059/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 475 and 476 together.

Agri-food trade data is divided into twenty-two categories agreed by the Central Statistics Office and my Department. Fruit and vegetables are further categorised into ‘Fruit and Vegetables’, including fresh and dried products, and ‘Fruit and Vegetables Based Products’, including products derived from fruit and vegetables. In 2025, Ireland exported produce to the value €492.5 million, amounting to 258,392 tonnes, under both categories. In the same period, Ireland imported €1.97 billion worth of produce by value and 1,190,303 by volume, resulting in a trade deficit of €1.47 billion and 961,911 tonnes. These figures show that exports cover just 25% of imports by value and 22% by volume.

However, the EU Single Market and Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) are the critical mechanisms for ensuring food security throughout the European Union and Ireland. When the EU single market, which has been a resilient and dependable source of food, is considered, Ireland's sufficiency estimates are much higher than would be indicated by domestic self-sufficiency ratios alone, in particular in vegetables as well as cereals. Our long-standing agri-food trade relationship with the United Kingdom further strengthens our position. Like Ireland, the countries from which we import fruit and vegetables are subject to climate and other extreme weather events, which create supply chain risks.

Ireland’s approach to delivering sustainable agriculture and food is set out in Food Vision 2030, our stakeholder-led strategy. My Department is currently undertaking a mid-term review of Food Vision 2030, and food security will be among the issues to be considered. While Ireland has a comparative advantage in grass-based livestock production, and this will remain at the core of our agri-food output, there are advantages in working towards a more diversified sector. As I stated ahead of Agrifish Council in April, food security is a pillar of global security and should be a priority for us all.

To facilitate the ongoing development of the domestic horticulture sector, a stakeholder-led National Strategy for Horticulture 2023-2027 has been agreed with all stakeholders and provides a road map for development of the sector. Notably, my Department administers the Scheme of EU aid for Producer Organisations which last year paid out €8.7 million in aid to five Producer Organisations. My Department also administers further financial supports via the NDP Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector and NDP Scheme of Investment Aid for Innovation & Diversification in Horticulture (Capital Investments) to assist growers make important on-farm capital investments to support their competitiveness and long-term sustainability. It should be noted however that Ireland is not unusual in terms of production and trade specialisation, and there is limited scope for import substitution for certain products, for example exotic fruits or sufficient supply of certain commodities to meet consumers’ year-round demands.