asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will invite Mr. Lardinois to visit this country to examine the economic situation of farmers, especially those in hill areas.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Farming Economics.
20.
A visit from Mr. Lardinois would be very welcome at any time and he is aware of this. He visited this country as recently as February last and was here many times when he was accredited to us as agricultural attaché some years ago. He is, therefore, very familiar with the problems of our agriculture and of our hill areas. The Minister, of course, meets him frequently in Brussels and avails himself of these opportunities to keep Mr. Lardinois informed of the various problems confronting our farmers.
Does the Parliamentary Secretary not agree that the general implication of his reply is that he does not propose to invite the Commissioner to visit this country? Does he not agree that at this particular juncture when the common agricultural policy is about to come under pressure and when a regional policy for the whole Community is about the be implemented that it would be very desirable that a special invitation be given to the Commissioner to visit the areas of this country which would qualify under the regional policy in particular?
As I indicated in my reply, Mr. Lardinois is very welcome to come here at any time. As the Deputy is aware, the Minister is spending a great part of his time in Europe looking after the interests of Irish farmers and Irish agriculture and is afforded the opportunity of meeting Mr. Lardinois frequently.
That is totally irrelevant. I have asked a straight question and the Parliamentary Secretary has not replied.
It is not irrelevant and I have replied to the Deputy's question.
Why is Mr. Lardinois not being invited?
The Department officials, and the Minister, have had frequent discussions in Brussels with officials of Mr. Lardinois' directorate. Additionally, they have had discussions with Dr. Vonverschuer who has particular responsibility for this proposed directive and other officials, such as Mr. Craps, and our own Dr. John Scully, have been over to visit the problem areas. This Government is taking all aspects of the position into account and is doing a really good job in so far as our agricultural interests in Europe are concerned.
The Parliamentary Secretary's Fine Gael colleagues nearly made a bags of it last week.
The Deputy need not have any worries; we are doing a good job in Europe for the farming community.
Why has the Coalition broken up in Europe so? Is that the first step? Will the Coalition break up next week? Next Wednesday when the result of the Monaghan By-election is known it will break up here as it did in Europe last week.
The Deputy should ask Deputy Lynch what he said on Saturday night. Wait until next Wednesday——
I am trying to get Deputy Gibbons a hearing for a final supplementary.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary not aware that the Deputies of the Coalition parties in the Parliament in Strasbourg last week voted to take the power from——
That is a separate matter.
It is a separate matter and the Deputy knows it.
Could the Parliamentary Secretary explain why that happened?
I have called Question No. 21.
The Deputy should stay over there for a few years more.
While the Coalition are at that kind of thing they will not be too long on that side.
There is no one to run the Department.