Susan O'Keeffe (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I will try to be brief given the time constraints. There have been various queries about the timeframe. I know the Department officials have a range of experience as many have been involved in the negotiations on CAP in previous occasions. From the briefings I have had from officials it seems that the negotiations on the CAP have been awfully slow. It seems to be slow to the point of almost stopping. Issues that were raised in the Secretary General's address today are matters that do not seem to have shifted in the past six to nine months. That alarms me, although perhaps it is because the Secretary General is not in a position to detail progress because it is too sensitive. If that is the case, will Mr. Moran so indicate? On the approximation, the five member states have been member states for quite a while. Yet Mr. Moran goes on to say that he believes the principle of flexibility will ultimately be supported. Why is Mr. Moran prepared to go that far, given that we still have five and we had five some months ago? I also wish to query the figures on flat payments and that the payments to 55,000 farmers would fall and some 75,000 farmers would benefit. Clearly the 75,000 farmers who will benefit might find it acceptable, although Mr. Moran has used the word unacceptable. What modelling has been done in the Department to show the impact that would have on Harvest 2020, were we to go down that road? I am assuming the officials have done the modelling. Are those figures available?