Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his time and his commitment to the job at hand. Earlier he spoke about the gulf between the dynamic alignment and the equivalence when it comes to food standards, SPS checks, etc. Can he see that gulf being bridged? One of the complaints I recall from EU farmers in particular was the issue of equivalence when it came to Brazilian beef, etc., and there will be resistance from the Council member states. How can that gap be bridged? Has the Minister any thoughts on how we can take steps towards one another?