Eugene Regan (Fine Gael)

The Leader agreed last week to a request that we would have clarification on the WTO agreement, on whether the Government accepted it had a veto and whether it was prepared to use it in the case of the farm sector not being adequately safeguarded and protected in the World Trade talks. He assured the House that the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food would give a clarification and response to that question this week. I inform the Leader and other Members of the House that such a response was not forthcoming yesterday. There was no clarification on either of those two points.

Senator Cannon has sought clarification on this point. A Senator from the Green Party said last week that we had no veto. Is the Government of one mind on this issue and has it any understanding of this question? Given that the farm leaders have raised a legitimate question, that it is raised in the context of the Lisbon treaty and that it will influence many farmers in how they vote on that treaty referendum, it is imperative that the Government clarify this situation and state its position. I question why that has not happened and whether the Taoiseach has given a diktat on this matter, whether he is in a sense getting combative with the farm leaders and trying to isolate or punish them by giving a direction that there is to be no response to what is a very legitimate question. The lesson from this is that the problem farmers have is not with Europe but with the Government. I ask the Leader to clarify why we have not got clarification on this, given that within the Government the Green Party, the Progressive Democrats and Fianna Fáil do not seem to be speaking from the same script.