John Dardis (Progressive Democrats)

I want to pick up on the point that has just been made. I was encouraged yesterday to hear the Taoiseach say that the Common Agricultural Policy would be defended. It would be utterly wrong if the policy were to be sacrificed on the altar of trying to find a financial settlement to overcome some of the difficulties that are besetting the Union at the moment. A painful and difficult deal was done and the Minister for Agriculture and Food at the time should be congratulated on the way he made it and on the outcome for Irish farmers and farming in the Union in general.