Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 431: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of proposals that her Department is opposing at European Council at any stage; the names of such proposals; the reason her Department is taking this position; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33831/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The policy issues for which I have direct responsibility are dealt with in the Council of Agriculture Ministers rather than the European Council for which the Department of the Taoiseach has primary responsibility.

In the normal course of negotiating on proposals brought forward by the Commission, I adopt negotiating strategies and tactics which I believe are most suited to achieving the best possible outcomes for Ireland. I have not taken a position of outright opposition to any of the proposals currently being considered by the Council. The most significant such proposal relates to the reform of the sugar regime. While I am not opposed to reform of the sugar sector in principle, I believe that the Commission's proposals are too radical and I have indicated clearly that, in their present form, they are unacceptable to me. My main concern is with the levels of price cuts proposed by the Commission which, if agreed, would mean that sugar production and sugar processing would not be viable in Ireland.