Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There is not much new left for me to say as all the questions on my list have been asked. It was good to have the Commissioner and his officials here. It is a great honour for Ireland, with a population of just over 4 million, that the Commissioner has such an important and prestigious role. Leaving the Commissioner aside as an individual, it is crucial for Ireland that it has the agriculture portfolio and the budget under its control. I wish the Commissioner well in his term and have no doubt he will do us proud.

The Commissioner mentioned that he wrote to the competition Commissioner in regard to fertilisers. Will he let us know whether he got any direct feedback and whether there is a sense some progress can be made? I understand some movement can be seen in prices based on gas prices, but what feedback did Commissioner Hogan get from the competition Commissioner?

Deputy Barry mentioned that we should never have lost the sugar beet industry. We would like to see it back and I acknowledge the efforts made by the Minister for Agriculture and Food, Deputy Coveney, during our EU Presidency and during the renegotiation of the CAP to see the abolition of the quotas. Is there any further assistance the Commission can provide to those of us who are interested in re-establishing the sugar beet industry?

Our report today, which the Commissioner received before this meeting, made significant mention of simplification of the CAP. While what we have now is something the Commissioner has largely inherited, it is very important to consider what happens in the future. The Leader programme is important. During the Commissioner's time as Minister here, I dealt with him in regard to some local cases in places such as Suncroft, Rathangan and Castledermot. These cases nearly broke our hearts due to red tape and bureaucracy.