Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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This stems from the issue of equity in the price chain. Once milk is put into an own-brand container, tracing its origins becomes difficult. With some of the Border region's processing companies, it is impossible to trace, but it does not need to be that well defined as long as the quality is right.

Adopting an all-island approach to protecting producers has been a constant issue for the committee. We have tried to address it through our hearings on the grocery code of conduct. We would be interested in seeing an interim report soon on the effectiveness or otherwise of the adjudicator in the United Kingdom. We have been told ad nauseam by representatives of the retailers that it is not necessary to create a statutory code and that they are satisfied that a voluntary code rolled out across Europe would be effective. However, this is difficult to believe in the light of the anecdotal evidence available. It is only anecdotal because, for good reason, people are not prepared to go on the record.

The North has an envelope under the Common Agricultural Policy and it is treated as a region. It could work closely with the arrangements being made by our Department for convergence and coupling for young farmers. To suit both, we should be as close as possible. It is difficult to see how a large difference would suit anyone. Milk production is just one issue, there are others. There are advantages and disadvantages on both sides of the Border.

If we can try to rule these out, we can help all of the people we are trying to protect.

It is in all our interests that animal welfare and disease control be dealt with as soon as possible. I was told before this meeting that the new EU law was not due to be rolled out until 2015, but we should continue to try to work on the issues of disease status and live movements in advance of that legislation. There is more work to be done on the fishing aspect. There are coastal and island communities right around the island that do not have major fishing ports and the committee is trying to formulate a model which will allow these communities to be sustainable alongside the Common Fisheries Policy.

I noticed in the briefing pack that one of the few places in which to get a significant increase under the Common Agricultural Policy was the LIFE project, for which the figure is up 10%. That could probably help more disadvantaged areas and isolated rural communities. This relates to the discussion we had concerning isolation and poverty. Perhaps we might examine the possibility of developing schemes to help these areas, with national initiatives.

I thank the Minister and members for participating in what has been a useful discussion. There is a definite advantage in trying to consider the matter together and the likes of the North-South Ministerial Council and other forums are very good. We hope this has been a good opportunity for the Minister to outline some of the points that may not be articulated at ministerial meetings. I thank members for their engagement.