Vol. 490 No. 1
21 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the proposals, if any, he has to ensure a viable future for the Irish agricultural sector in the event of advancement of the Santer proposals in the context of Agenda 2000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9426/98]
26 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the Government's position on proposals for reform of the CAP announced by the European Commission on 18 March 1998; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9402/98]
35 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will report on his recent meeting with the EU Agriculture Commissioner, Mr. Fischler, on his visit to Dublin. [8017/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 21, 26 and 35 together.
The Commission's detailed proposals for the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy were published on 18 March 1998. A special meeting of the Council of Ministers was convened on 31 March 1998 to enable Ministers to put forward their initial responses to the proposals. At that meeting, I informed the Commissioner and my colleagues in the Council of the economic significance of the Irish interests that would be affected by the proposals and told them that the proposals were seriously damaging to Irish agriculture and the Irish economy and that, consequently, Ireland emphatically rejected them in their present form.
During Commissioner Fischler's visit to Dublin on 25-26 March 1998, I conveyed a similar message to him about the adverse implications of the proposals for Ireland but in greater detail. Commissioner Fischler accepted that the proposals created difficulties for Ireland and indicated his willingness to consider alternative proposals.
During the coming months of negotiations, I will put Ireland's case forcefully to my ministerial colleagues and to the Commissioner both in the Council and bilaterally. It is my objective to secure a final agreement which not only will not disadvantage Ireland but will provide a favourable framework within which the Irish agriculture and food industries can continue to develop for the benefit of those who work in those industries and the economy as a whole.
