Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)

The Minister's response is interesting. I ask him to place in the Oireachtas Library a copy of the agreement reached between the Commission and the Government in February 2006 because it is a difficult document to access and one that is critical to this debate.

The Minister has outlined the reasons for potential. I am aware of the report from Cork County Council. The problem is that the plant in Mallow has been razed to the ground. Whether the future industry can develop in Mallow or Midleton or elsewhere is a parochial issue which I do not wish to deal with in detail here. However, it is clear that a monumental mistake was made. Whether one blames the Government, Greencore or the farm organisations, the blame game is irrelevant now. What we need to do now is to salvage something from this situation. Will the Minister seize this issue and pursue it to its end objective? It is a very valuable crop from a tillage industry which will come under increasing pressure in the future. It offers a source of income to the tillage sector and also employment and it meets our future non-renewable energy objectives.

Let us leave aside the blame game. The monumental errors made by Greencore, by the Government, by the Commission and outlined by the EU Court of Auditors, are only of comfort in respect of "I told you so" - which is what some people in this House did, but that is water under the bridge. Can we salvage something now and will the Minister pursue it, take it on board and bring it to an end-game?

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