Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I will offer an observation from my experience. The opening point of CAP reform is not always where the end point is. We saw during the most recent CAP reform that the then Commissioner had very radical proposals but that the eventual outcome was totally different. We must bear that in mind. In addition, the main difference on this occasion will be the budget. It will determine exactly where we will go. Perhaps my observation is wrong but, in my opinion, the budget will probably be an indication of where we will go in future CAP reforms, even beyond the current one. There is continuous downward pressure on the budget. Professor Matthews made a point earlier about the condition of farmers in this country, what is coming down the line and the decrease in funding available. This may have a knock-on effect in a positive way. For example, as Professor Matthews rightly mentioned, the price of conacre, fertilisers and inputs is a huge issue in this country. There is no doubt that conacre has got out of control in recent years, possibly as a result of the cheque in the post that will come sooner rather than later. This is just an observation.