John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)

——and to ensure that Irish agriculture is protected.

At the meeting of Ministers in Brussels I again insisted that we would be going down the road on which the beef industry went and I acknowledge the damage done in that regard. I acknowledged the difficulties in pig and sheep meat and the fact that we are now in a position where our beef industry is being called into question and that this deal will not satisfy what we need on the table for us to expand that industry, to protect it and to ensure that we have new markets.

It is fair to state that if what is being proposed were to be the final outcome, an extra 300,000 tonnes of beef or 100,000 tonnes of New Zealand butter might arrive in our market. That is something of which we must be conscious, but being so conscious and understanding the facts would lead us to a greater challenge with Mr. Mandelson, and we would inform him of our position, which is ongoing in all the meetings held.

I commend the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Deputy Coughlan, on what she has done on this issue because it is not just about one meeting. It is something that is being debated and has been ongoing since 2001.

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