Peter Callanan (Fianna Fail)

In welcoming the Minister of State to the House, I want to express my pleasure at seeing Senator Feeney in the Chair. It is my first time seeing her there and I wish her well.

I congratulate the Minister, Ministers of State and the Department of Agriculture and Food on a very successful 12 months management of agricultural and related matters. I congratulate the Minister of State on the role he played. I did not think we would be back here debating foot and mouth disease so soon after dealing with the serious case that arose in this country and the Six Counties and which ravaged Great Britain and parts of Europe. However, we are back here debating a disease which spreads quickly. I listened with great care to Senator Coonan, who is a man of great intellect and common sense, but I must disagree with some aspects of his contribution.

We enjoy the privilege of regionalisation in this country. When a few parishes in the Cooley peninsula were prohibited from trading, we had great appreciation of this throughout the country and for our farmers generally. If we did not have regionalisation, the whole economy would have closed down because tourism and agriculture would have been wiped out. We must have sympathy for the country and people who bear the brunt of the dreaded foot and mouth disease. There are issues relating to that country and beef production——