John Gerard Hanafin (Fianna Fail)

I ask the Leader to invite the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs with responsibility for European affairs, Deputy Treacy, to the House in the new year to discuss a developing situation. In the last year, when Russia increased gas prices and cut off the supply to the Ukraine, the rest of Europe suffered. Poland and Russia are in dispute. Poland is asking the European Union not to sign the energy agreement with Russia because of a meat labelling issue. If that happens we could lose a significant meat market. We consume 10% of the beef we produce and export 90%. Russia is an important market for us and if this local disagreement between two neighbouring nations escalates we will suffer disproportionately. We must avoid this.