Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)

Does the Minister acknowledge that if the WTO deal goes through as it is constituted at present, this will have a further adverse effect for producers in developing countries — as well as for Irish producers? Ultimately, and this harks back to what the Fine Gael spokesman is saying as regards the current WTO deal, there are political considerations, both domestically and internationally. Irish farmers want to hear that there will be no dismantling of the long-term achievements of CAP into the future. It is clearly the case that the WTO deal, as it stands, will compromise those gains and indeed, diminish and destroy them. They want to hear a firm voice from the Government as to its intentions on the WTO deal.

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