Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)

In response to the Ministers present, it is fair to say that we all have this country's interests at heart. In terms of the debates that have been facilitated by this House, it is right, proper and pertinent that Opposition Members would hold the Government to account on its position vis-À-vis the WTO negotiations and that the Government would not take any pertinent questions from this side of the House as a slight, given that we all have as our best interests the future interests of Irish agriculture and Irish agribusiness.

By way of response to the speech of the Minister, Deputy Coughlan, I wish to clear up the notion that she seemed to convey on the issue of the single farm payments. It is our clear understanding that to convey the impression somehow that the single farm payments will be undermined and that she is endeavouring to save them under the WTO agreements under the green box issues, is something of a misnomer. My understanding is that they are not part of the WTO negotiations in any event and to say they are conveys the wrong impression.

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