Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

Yes I did and I do not mind that. I received a very warm welcome and I saw the great work going on in that plant as well as the supply from its four constituent dairy co-operatives. That investment has been very worthwhile. Naturally, we wish to see greater collaboration and co-operation. In early September, I travelled to Finland and Denmark with the major dairy companies and we met all the major dairy companies there. They outlined to us the rationalisation process they went through, the scale of production issues and the research and development undertaken, to which the Minister of State, Deputy Killeen, referred earlier. There is co-operation between Teagasc in Moore Park and many of the leading research institutes in Scandinavia as well. I am keen for the whole area of collaboration to proceed. There is plenty of scope for efficiencies to be introduced and for new product development as well.

I spoke with the EU Commissioner early in the summer regarding the release of intervention stocks. We also raised the matter at the Council of Ministers meeting. I put it that when the recovery comes there must be a prudent release of intervention stocks in the future, not when the market is recovering because we do not wish to have downward pressure on prices again. That commitment has been given and it was written into a Council decision.

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