Ms Michelle O'Neill:

Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh found plenty of questions to ask.

I believe the CAP negotiations were a success because while we need to move to a fairer system, people need time to adjust. The Commission proposed an immediate steep drop of 40%, which was unfair. The fact that we have been able to phase in the approach is a win in the negotiations. If I were to state I had priorities, it would be picked up on and I do not want people to think it would be where we would definitely go.

The agrifood strategy board examined everything sector by sector and considered the challenges and supports required. It is an obvious tool to use to shape our new rural development programme and the supports we will have available. The timing has been quite good. My starting point would be examining these challenges and considering how the rural development programme will be able to meet some of them. I also want to consult industry. We must be open-minded with regard to suckler cow schemes. An area in which farmers often tell me they need support is building programmes as they have sheds and buildings which are years old, but they do not have the money to replace them. We should examine this area.

With regard to succession planning, I am delighted the young farmers' association in the North wants to examine this area and make suggestions on how to deal with it. A number of officials visit farm families and speak to them about their options and help them with succession plans. A family must come to the decision itself, but the officials help by explaining what it will mean and the implications for the entire family. This is positive work.

We also have a very difficult conacre problem in the North. It is an old tradition. It is unfortunate that we were not able to deal with the active farmer issue as part of the negotiations and that the Commission steered away from dealing with it. With regard to airports and golf courses, those who are not farming should not receive a single farm payment. It is as simple as that. A negative list has been agreed, but more discussions on the issue will take place.

All departments must rural proof their policy discussions, but how effectively this is done is an issue. We have created a ten minute video which is played as part of training for officials who work on policy, which explains it must be a factor and is something to which the Executive is committed, but it could be much more effective.

With regard to eel fishing, I live on the shores of Lough Neagh which has one of the largest eel fisheries in Europe and it is very much a part of the community which has been brought up and reared on the eel fishery. If it were ever to change, it would devastate the community. Some attempts are being made in the European Union in this regard, but this eel fishery has a management plan in place. It is being fished responsibly and takes sustainability of the industry into account.

Sugar beet production is not an issue in the North. With regard to targeting moneys towards tackling deprivation, we examine the deprivation statistics. The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency publishes detailed geographical statistics for deprivation levels; therefore, our work can be targeted.