Noel Coonan (Fine Gael)

Farmers' interests are not being protected. Beef is flooding in from South America without traceability, without being labelled and without any safety checks. Is it any wonder that farmers have lost confidence in this Government? The situation is grave and agriculture is on its knees. Young people are walking away from the land.

If the Minister cannot look after farmers' interests at the Cabinet table, then there is little prospect of him being able to protect their interests in Europe. I call on colleagues to support this amendment because a vote of confidence in the Government and the Minister at this particular time would be as obscene an act as when de Valera, in 1945, went to the German Ambassador to offer his sympathies on the death of Hitler.