The Government will continue to "insist" that Ireland's beef industry is not negatively affected by EU proposals to cut beef supports by 30 per cent, according to the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh. The Taoiseach was using each EU meeting to raise the issue, he said.

Mr Walsh was responding to Ms Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (Lab, Kerry South) who asked if the Minister would use his veto in the CAP reform negotiations to protect Irish dry-stock farmers from the "totally unacceptable" proposals for a 30 per cent cut in beef market supports.

Mr Willie Penrose (Lab, Westmeath) also asked: "Are you harnessing support at EU level to ensure that those proposals are rejected and that our interests are protected?"

The Minister said the Government was seeking support from the individual member states to protect what he described as Ireland's "primary industry". "We're seeking support from the individual member states and we have had bilateral meetings and we will continue to insist that our primary industry, that's the beef industry, is not negatively affected because of these proposals." The Taoiseach was in Lisbon yesterday and was using every occasion to raise the issue. The Minister said the negotiations were at an early stage and he was confident of "significant improvements".

Mr Walsh told deputies the Commission's proposals for reform were presented to agriculture Ministers in March. "At that meeting I made it clear that the proposals, as presented would have a seriously negative impact on Ireland and were, therefore, unacceptable."