Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 26: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will ensure that the European Commission will not release dairy intervention stocks in a manner that will jeopardise fragile recovery in global markets for dairy produce; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11947/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I have continually pressed the Commission to take all appropriate measures to deal with the dairy market situation, and in 2009 Market Intervention, Aids to Private Storage and Export Refunds helped to stabilise the market for dairy products. With regard to intervention for butter and skimmed milk powder, last October Commissioner Fischer Boel gave a commitment to manage the release of stocks from intervention in a prudent manner. I also raised this issue with the new Commissioner when I met him recently in Brussels. I will continue to maintain close contact with the EU Commission and the Council to ensure that support measures are activated when required and that the release of intervention stocks is managed in a manner that is sensitive to the market pressures at the time.