Credibility on Famine Assistance
O’Keeffe challenged the Minister’s credibility on famine relief in light of development-cooperation cuts. The Minister defended the Government’s priorities and its efforts to reduce intervention and diversify agricultural production.
Does the Minister think he has any credibility in pleading at EC or any other levels along the lines of the "move the mountain" people pleading the cause of the Ethiopians' hunger, in the light of the enormous cutbacks imposed by his Government on the development co-operation programme?
Comment on this
I do not know whether the Deputy is serious. Not only have I credibility but I can judge that by the reactions of my colleagues. What my colleague the Minister of State with special responsibility for food has been underlining indicates the Government's priorities. We have made a specific, determined commitment to reduce our reliance on intervention. We are succeding in maximum diversification and added value in the areas such as the Minister indicated, dairy processing, cheeses, all of that. If that does not earn credibility, which I assure the Deputy we have, nothing will. We are into market diversification in a unique way and we are going to maintain that thrust.