Tom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

Like other colleagues, I warmly welcome these statements on Europe Day. I know some of the questions have come from the public, and my question is linked with one of those. There is a reference to coherence in EU policy and talk of the need for constructive engagement between Europe and the developing world.

My question is very much in the context of the earlier discussion with the EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Ms Fischer Boel. For Ireland, agriculture, development and trade form a very important debate. Ms Fischer Boel put some very useful points to us this morning in her honest, upfront answers to questions. I genuinely believe we have worked out a good, coherent policy on agriculture, trade and development regarding the WTO talks, although there are some difficulties with agriculture. I speak of the journey from Seattle to Doha, Cancún and Hong Kong. Is the Minister of State satisfied with the coherence at EU level on agriculture, trade and development?

Regarding Deputy Quinn's comments, our position on development is good, but we can do much more at EU level to support developing countries to trade out of poverty. There is a much stronger need in that regard.

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