Peter Callanan (Fianna Fail)

—the Minister did the same.

The Opposition will say that I have to compliment the Minister but some logic and sense would do no harm in this debate. Certain farm leaders are once again reverting to their predictable whingeing. More than 20 of them were in Luxembourg holding a watching brief in the press bar while the Minister was conducting the negotiations. When the going got tough and the negotiations lasted through the night, the whingers were tucked in their beds while the Minister hammered out a vital deal for Irish farmers. When he concluded at 7.30 a.m. he immediately briefed the farm organisations but we all know that there was already someone sleepwalking on "Morning Ireland" telling us what the package was when he knew sweet damn all about it. He was not at the briefing sessions.