Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)

I fully support what was said by Senator Ó Murchú and others concerning the case of Christy McGrath. I commend Senator Ó Murchú on bringing this matter to our attention on several occasions. From the body of evidence made available to the sub-committee, which is admittedly working from a distance, it appears that Mr. McGrath has a compelling case to have the issue reviewed. I hope it will be reviewed as quickly as possible and the Minister for Foreign Affairs will use his good offices to pursue the case.

Today the EU Commission is expected to announce its proposals for the future for the sugar industry. The indications are that the cuts being proposed from a production and price point of view will decimate the Irish sugar industry. Thousands of growers and workers in rural communities are concerned about the situation. It is imperative that the Government, through the offices of the Minister for Agriculture and Food and the Taoiseach, fight and resist this set of proposals. We must ensure the sugar industry in Ireland is retained. The proposals emanating from Brussels are extremely negative and must be resisted by the House and the Government.