Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)

The Minister's reply is taken directly from a recent speech he gave to the Seanad. The own initiative report on this issue was authored by Mr. George Lyon, MEP, a Liberal Democrat representative for Scotland, whose party is a member of the same group within the European Parliament as Fianna Fáil. Mr. Lyon refers to the desire to go beyond 2020 for phasing in the move from historic to area-based payments and to significant differences in terms of the criteria to be used for the distribution of single farm payments to member states. As far as he is concerned, it is a foregone conclusion that the historical model will be no more. I acknowledge the Minister's point that there is increasing pressure for that to occur.

If it is a foregone conclusion that the majority of member states will seek to move away from the historical model of payments, then what is the current thinking within the Fianna Fáil group in the European Parliament as to what will be the replacement? Is Mr. Lyon speaking for all Fianna Fáil Members of the European Parliament when he speaks about a movement towards area-based payments?

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