Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

The Minister, Deputy Coughlan, has emphasised at every fora available to her, at the EU and the World Trade Organisation talks, the absolute necessity for the green box to be protected as regards direct payments. In 2005, €1.6 billion was paid out to the farming community in direct payments. It must be recognised that there was an overlap with some of the payments from the previous year concerning some of the schemes that were being wound up. Direct payments, however, are of crucial importance to farmers. Over the next few days, the Minister will be attending the WTO talks where she will seek the support of other EU members to protect the CAP and European agriculture generally. That is of critical importance to us. The Taoiseach and Ministers, including those present in the Chamber, have raised this matter with other EU Ministers at all available fora. We have emphasised the importance of protecting European agriculture and that policy will be pursued relentlessly by the Government.

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