Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

-----and the protected price would no longer exist. I have clearly stated that the choice of exiting or staying in production was the decision of each sugar producing company. Obviously, it was for each company to take that commercial decision. Earlier, I dealt with the issue of the relevance of the impact assessment carried out by the Commission. I make it clear again that the Commission had the most up-to-date information on the position in Ireland throughout all of the negotiating process.

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