Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It has never recovered from the demise of the industry. We must always remember what the sugar factories and the sugar industry gave to this country. It is important for us to get the best possible deal from CAP. I compliment the Minister, Deputy Coveney, on the work he has done to date to try to ensure we get the best possible deal.

In ensuring that best possible deal, it is important we break it down into four different areas, namely, delivering a well resourced CAP, retaining Ireland's share of the CAP fund, which is currently €1.6 billion, maximising payment flexibility and simplifying administration. It is also important to remember that in every recession we have had, as history will show, agriculture played a key role in ensuring the economy got going again. It is ironic, given Fianna Fáil put down this motion this week, that next week the applications for the new agri-environment options scheme, AEOS, are coming on stream. This is a scheme we got going when we came into government last year because Fianna Fáil had put no funding behind it despite having put it in place.

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