Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Sorry, the programme. However, it is history now, and we are into this business.

Last weekend's meeting was a good-spirited one with no descent into the personal rancour which often breaks out at these events, of which Deputy Martin is well aware. There was no wish to divide the European Council between contributor countries and receiving countries. The large contributors such as Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany and Britain were not saying they wanted to move off on their own and leave the rest behind. This is a recognition of the importance of keeping the 27 member states together. It is also interesting that the discussions I had with the French President, Mr. Hollande, the European Council President, Mr. Van Rompuy, and the Commission President, Mr. Barroso, about the CAP and the agri-sector were replicated by many others.

Strong opinions were also voiced about the Cohesion Fund and Pillar 2 and the importance of rural development. We are not alone in this regard. Chancellor Faymann of Austria, which has the highest per capitaincome in the Union, referred to Alpine farmers and their difficulties. Prime Minister Gonzi from Malta spoke about the importance of the Cohesion Fund to his small country. The same applied in the case of Hungary and others. It was interesting that the majority of contributions made by the funding countries expressed a wish for a reduction in the overall level of the budget such that the agri-sector could be protected.

Deputy Martin will be aware that we get 85% of our income in Ireland under the direct payments system and others elements of the Common Agricultural Policy. We mounted a strong defence of this, as did President Hollande and others, as well as of the Cohesion Fund and rural development. It is important to remember that the greatest number of jobs being created in Europe comes through the food manufacturing sector and the agri-economy.

I thought it was positive because in the contributions made on the reduction of the overall ceiling of the budget the contributor countries did not try to reduce the importance or the understanding of the CAP and what it offers. At the end of the meeting there was an understanding that there is clear potential to put together a budget from 2014 to 2020. As the incoming holder of the EU Council Presidency, we need to work with President van Rompuy, but we also need to protect the Common Agricultural Policy and Ireland's national interest in it and we need to fight for nothing less than what we have already in the rural development area and the Cohesion Fund. These are important elements for the regions in this country and for the type of developments that have taken place in recent years, in respect of which we have used the money well and few penalties have been imposed on Ireland as a result.

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