Vol. 493 No. 5
142 Mr. B. Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the progress, if any, made to date in 1998 in relation to the proposal to provide additional milk quotas in the Border region under the EU's programme for peace and reconciliation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16817/98]
Any initiative which would lead to the allocation of additional quota to milk producers in the Border counties would have my full support.
The matter has been discussed on a number of occasions between officials of my Department, the United Kingdom's Ministry for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries and the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland. The matter was also raised at ministerial level with the UK and I have also met the Cross-Border Milk Quota Action Group.
I have again, recently, raised this issue at ministerial level with the UK and I will continue to press the matter.
However, as has been indicated previously, the success of an initiative of this nature will be dependent not only on the circumstances and timing of its presentation at EU level, but also on the position taken by the United Kingdom authorities.
