Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

On the Deputy's question on the EU conference in France in early September, people who listen to us participated actively and constructively at the meeting. At the conference, I outlined that the sheep sector needed assistance at EU level. For once, the British Government and the Irish one were on the same wavelength on an agriculture issue. The British Minister participated, as did the French Minister, Michel Barnier, acting President of the Council of Agriculture Ministers, and the Ministers from Spain and Romania. We were the only Ministers representing Governments of member states at the conference.

I made several points at the conference, one of which was that the challenges in the sheep sector throughout the European Union required an EU-wide response. There are unspent funds within the Irish CAP allocation and there are also unused CAP funds at EU level. I argued that we should not only try to obtain access to our own unspent funds, such that we could use them to our own benefit as we see fit, but that we should also try to secure an EU-wide response. I argued that some of the substantial fund that is unused within the CAP budget of the 27 member states should be diverted to the sheep sector. However, the European Union will not agree to that. One would need the agreement of the 27 member states.

If Deputy Sherlock wants to read any of my statements or listen to any of the interviews I gave, he will note that I stated clearly, as I did last night, today and at the meeting organised by the IFA in Tullamore on the morning when the CAP health check negotiations were completed, that the sheep sector needs help. I stated at the meeting in Tullamore that "I want to ensure that the changes in the health check open the possibility for some useful action in the sheep sector." I have repeated that since and am looking forward to a constructive meeting with the farm organisations on 16 December. That is the first date available because of long-standing commitments in the Dáil and elsewhere, including foreign locations, over the next two weeks. I have no doubt that the organisations at the meeting will put forward very strong, well-supported cases on the sheep sector based on their concerns and ideas.

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