Feargal Quinn (Independent)

I support the call for an urgent debate on the Lisbon treaty. Debate is taking place elsewhere but it is important that it also be facilitated in this House. The Taoiseach will attend a sitting of the National Forum on Europe tomorrow to discuss the treaty. Yesterday's meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs involved a discussion with two agricultural delegations. I was impressed by the interest they showed in the treaty.

I speak with a vested interest in expressing my surprise at yesterday's call by the Irish Farmers Association, IFA, for supermarkets to raise their prices to allow for an increase in the unjustly low payments received by farmers for their produce. This is the type of issue that should be debated in the context of a wider discussion on Europe. While EU set-aside provisions mean that farmers within the Union are paid not to grow anything, 1 billion people worldwide go to bed hungry every night. The debate on the Lisbon treaty, which must incorporate a consideration of the future of agriculture in Europe, should take place urgently to ensure it receives the attention it deserves. All aspects must be discussed before we can make a decision on it.