Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

I assure Deputy Upton, the House and the wider community that the Minister, Deputy Coughlan, has sought at the WTO negotiations a continuation of the sanitary and phytosanitary agreement whereby, if issues arise and the EU feels products are a danger to the health of consumers, it can implement measures and ban them. Ireland is seeking recognition for the additional costs borne by our producers by seeking a discount of the EU tariff reduction commitment. These issues are being pursued by this country in a trenchant and forceful manner. That is the way it will remain.

See this speech in context