Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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It is not just the case of what I want to do, and I will do much. I point to the efforts made by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Creed. As recently as last Thursday, he met the Ministers for agriculture from France, Spain and Portugal. They issued a statement on the issue which laid out their grave concerns about the current proposal for CAP. The Minister said after the meeting:

Notwithstanding these very real pressures, I am convinced that we have to protect the CAP budget, if we are serious about preserving the family farm model that is central to the European project.

The Common Agricultural Policy is the most successful policy of the European project, and we have emerged from this meeting with a strong coalition of member states ... who are prepared to defend the CAP Budget, as we enter into what will be extremely difficult negotiations.

I understand that since the Minister led the way in assembling this coalition, the number of countries that are willing to support that position has grown. First, we are articulating Irish national interests on the matter. Second, and most important, we are assembling other countries that feel the same.