(Limerick West) asked the Minister for Agriculture if the Irish case in Brussels in the annual price review is based on retrieving the error of last year or if a genuine case is being made for improvement of our milk production quota over and above the redemption of that error.

In the recent price negotiations in the Council of Ministers I sought the best possible result for Irish farmers on all the issues arising in regard to both milk and the various other products. I consider that the overall result achieved was a very satisfactory one.

(Limerick West): Is the Minister aware that the overall achievement is a redress of the statistical errors of last year, that there is no opportunity for increased production for 1985-86 and no guarantees for subsequent years?

The statistical correction which we sought is normal procedure in the Community. On this occasion, which to my knowledge was unprecedented, the Commission did not agree to adjust the provisional statistics. That was most unfortunate. This year the other milk producing countries in the Community had to take a further reduction of one million tonnes or approximately 1 per cent in their output in the current year. It was extremely difficult to have agreement on any additional quotas being made available when the other milk producing countries had to take a major additional cut.

(Limerick West): The Minister must be aware that milk production is far more important to Ireland than to any other member state. In view of the importance of increased production to small farmers along the western seaboard who are debarred from any further increases because of the embargo of the super-levy, would he not consider that his exercise in Brussels as far as they are concerned is not very positive?

I would not agree. The Deputy knows there is an extremely difficult climate when other countries are still taking cutbacks. When I was distributing the quotas last year I gave preferential treatment to people on the western seaboard and smaller farmers got a concession.

Would the Minister agree that when we joined the EC the state of our agricultural development was at a much lower level than any other member state and that that position has not been taken into consideration when preparing development programmes for countries such as Ireland? The Treaty of Rome made provision for developing countries to reach the status of the developed countries. Ireland has not reached that level of development and, in my view, the present attitude of the Community to Ireland is not allowing us to reach that level of development.

That was a statement rather than a question, but it was broadly incorrect. Last year there was clear recognition of our special case, and that is why we got a 20 per cent advantage over the other milk producing countries in northern Europe.

Would the Minister agree that we had a special case and hoped to do better this year than last year? Would he also agree that that error had a serious effect on his bargaining position and that this must have been a cause of embarrassment to him when discussing this at the table?

I would not describe it as an error. We sought a statistical correction of provisional figures, which is normal practice.

(Limerick West): Is the Minister optimistic that this increase will continue over and above the quota of 6.5 per cent in the next three years of the super-levy?

Yes, I am.

(Limerick West): Can the Minister give any indication——

I do not negotiate in public. That would be a most stupid thing to do.

(Limerick West): Could the Minister indicate to the House the source of his optimism? Is it based on his negotiating powers?

I am not going to negotiate in public. It is not a very wise tactic. I keep my strategy to myself in cases like this. That is the effective way to do it.

(Limerick West): But the Minister is optimistic?

I am extremely optimistic. I am quite sure of that.