Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

As for the Deputy's point on the visit by President Sarkozy, he is aware I have met the French Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, Michel Barnier, on a number of occasions when we discussed issues of common concern and interest. I will continue to so do within the Council of Ministers with like-minded Ministers. A variety of views have been expressed by Ministers from various member states regarding the CAP health check in respect of milk quota, modulation and decoupling. However, I agree fully with the Deputy, in that decoupling is relatively new and Ireland's farming system has adapted to it well. When farmers signed up to it, they were of the opinion that it constituted both a set and significant part of their income. I am opposed to farmers losing part of their income from the single farm payment.

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