Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)

I am glad the Minister had the opportunity to read the last sentence of his reply because I intended asking him, in view of the delicate recovery under way in global dairy prices, what assurances he has been given that products now in intervention arising from efforts at EU level to support the industry will not be prematurely released back onto the market, thereby bringing the recovery to a halt.

In light of that recovery, has the Minister and his Department any estimate of to what level milk prices per litre will return in 2010? Dairy farmers have taken a particular hammering and are anxious to budget and plan for 2010. What price on average does the Minister expect for milk in 2010?

The Minister and his Department have frittered away the dairy investment fund with no strategic objectives achieved in terms of efficiencies in the dairy processing sector. How does the Department, either directly or by means of other State agencies such as Enterprise Ireland, propose to assist in the endeavours under way to bring greater efficiencies to the dairy processing sector?

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