Government Announces Scheme to Support the Establishment of New Flour Mills

L-R: Tom Cusack, Head of Food at Enterprise Ireland, Minister Peter Burke, Minister Robert Troy and Minister Martin Heydon.



The Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke TD, and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, today announced an initiative to financially back new flour mills in Ireland.  At present, Ireland has only one industrial‑scale flour mill, and this initiative aims to strengthen the competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience of the bakery value chain.

Enterprise Ireland will oversee and administer the initiative and will engage directly with firms considering new or expanded milling operations of scale.

Speaking today, Minister Peter Burke TD said: “This initiative is a powerful display of our intent to become more self-sustaining as an economy and will improve the competitiveness within Ireland’s food and drink sector. The Irish bakery market is worth an estimated €995 million annually with exports of more than €200 million. With over 7,000 people employed across 600 businesses, this scheme will reduce costs for these SMEs.  Driving down costs for our small businesses is something I have been prioritising within the Department since my appointment”

Minister Martin Heydon TD added: "I welcome the announcement of this scheme to support the establishment of new flour mill projects in Ireland. It is Government policy to grow and develop the tillage sector, and I believe in the importance of developing new added value opportunities to enhance its long-term sustainability and competitiveness. With collaboration from industry and support from the marketplace, domestic production of milling wheat can play an important role in providing a new value-added opportunity in the supply chain for Irish tillage farmers. My Department has engaged with Enterprise Ireland in developing this scheme which supports a commitment in the Programme for Government and a recommendation in the Food Vision Tillage Report to explore opportunities for milling wheat in Ireland."

Minister of State Robert Troy said: “Ireland’s ability to secure the future supply of flour supports the resilience of what is a key national supply chain. This initiative will support investment in modern and efficient processing facilities and aligns with the Government’s objective to enhance competitiveness across multiple sectors. This is further proof that Government will act as required to protect vital sectors against the backdrop of global financial and geopolitical pressures.”

Tom Cusack, Head of Food at Enterprise Ireland said: “Enterprise Ireland looks forward to working with companies assessing new investment opportunities in flour milling infrastructure. The initiative will support projects of scale that deliver improvements in efficiency, sustainability, and supply chain resilience, contributing to long-term competitiveness in the bakery sector.”

Support administered by Enterprise Ireland will be implemented in line with the EU General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER), specifically Article 14 on Regional Investment Aid, and the Irish Regional Aid Map, ensuring full compliance with EU State aid rules."

For further information, contact enquiries.flour@enterprise-ireland.com

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