Pat O'Neill (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Will the Leader invite the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to the House for a debate on the CAP negotiations? What happens in the next three weeks will define the future of agriculture for the next seven years. We face this event every seven years and it is important that each party outline its position. We know what the Minister's position is, but we are getting mixed messages from the Opposition on the direction Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin want to see the negotiations take. It is important to have a debate in order that each party can state its position. Some of the farming organisations are divided on how the negotiations should proceed. The Council of Ministers is due to meet in Dublin on 18 and 19 March which will be very important days for the country in defining the future of agriculture, one of the industries that has helped to save the economy. It has a bright future, despite threats from racketeers who have introduced horsemeat to the food industry.