THE popularity of convenience food is helping stem the decline in red meat consumption, the Minister for Agriculture said yesterday. Mr Yates was announcing the creation of 500 new jobs in the Supermac restaurant chain.

The Galway based company expects to open 10 new outlets by the end of this year, creating 500 jobs and bringing the total workforce to 2,000, the Minister said. The expansion will involve an investment of £10 million by Supermac.

Mr Yates said the company currently employed 1,500 people in its 24 restaurants nationwide and that new ones were being built under franchise in Claremorris, Co Mayo; Dundalk Co Louth; Moate, Co Westmeath; and Athenry, Co Galway.

"That programme will be of major benefit to the local communities through the use of local supplies and services and I am delighted that the company uses only Irish product," he said.

"At a time when there is a Europe wide reduction in the consumption of red meat it is good to be able to report that Supermac is increasing its sales of meat," he added.

He said overall production of burgers in Ireland amounted to 17,000 tonnes annually and was valued at £45 million.

Consumption in Ireland was in the order of 6,000 tonnes with the balance going mainly to British markets.

"Clearly there is much scope for expanding on these levels in view of our total production of more than 500,000 tonnes of beef and the need to maintain current red meat consumption levels," he said.

Kevin O'Sullivan adds from Galway: Mr Yates made the expansion announcement at the company headquarters in Galway, a Supermac restaurant and the largest fast food premises in the country.

It was in Ballinasloe, Co Galway, that a former teacher, Mr Pat McDonagh, opened his first premises in 1978. While his chain is nationwide, it has expanded with the help of a strong base in Galway city and county where it currently has 10 outlets employing 600 people.

The Minister said he did not come with a State for the expansion but he wished "to indicate support for the food and services sector and to be associated with development that will be of such benefit to our beef industry".

Stressing the company's role as the country's largest, wholly Irish owned fast food chain, Mr McDonagh stressed that his £10 million investment would be felt in every area where a new outlet was planned.

"There will be considerable investment in local communities through the exclusive use of local contractors and services in design, planning and operation," he said.