Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)

The unfortunate reality is that the Minister operates to a mandate from the Council of Agriculture Ministers. The political failing of that Council of Ministers, the Minister and, more pointedly, his predecessor, was that they did not ensure the Commissioner did not stray beyond that brief, which he has done. I am not aware if the Department or the Council of Ministers have a plan B which considers side deals or compensation measures for sectors within the agriculture industry, perhaps a €300 suckler cow grant to compensate for it.

I welcome the Minister's confirmation that the veto exists as a policy option, and I accept the Falconer paper published today, but if the options that were on the table up to now, which was the 70% cut in beef tariffs, the similar cuts in the dairy sector and across other sectors in the industry, are the ultimate proposals that will be put before the Irish Government to accept or reject, will the Government use the veto to reject them?

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