Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)

In my initial reply, I gave the House some information about the availability of credit. Like other Members of the House, the Deputy will be aware of the existence of the Credit Supply Clearing Group, which has had some impact in that regard. As Deputy Creed rightly said, farmers face substantial short-term difficulties. A little over a year ago, many farmers built additional infrastructure on the basis of legitimate expectations arising from the higher price levels of that time. The reality is that we operate in an EU context in the first instance. We also operate in the context of the WTO, which imposes all kinds of rules and regulations to be adhered to. The Deputy will be aware that the price paid for milk to farmers in New Zealand and the United States is considerably lower than the price currently available to Irish farmers. Ultimately, the most effective interventions are those which take produce off the market and ensure that new produce comes on to the market at an enhanced price.

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