Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

Deputy Creed is right. The market mechanism measures can take product off the market, thus giving it a boost. During the course of the health check, many countries argued that such measures should be much restricted and that the Commission should decide when they were invoked. We argued strongly for the need for the private storage system, the intervention system and the export refunds. The market management committee is meeting on 19 February. We have indicated to the Commission that we are adamant that there should be a higher level of refund to support the market. We have argued for that. The private storage scheme was brought forward to 1 January. We have argued strongly to the Commission, and will continue to do so, that we need to make maximum use of the market mechanisms that are available in view of the particular difficulties that exist at present.

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