Agriculture:The Government will seek to retain the highest possible subsidies for Irish farmers and to protect Irish agricultural produce from foreign competition, Minister for Agriculture Mary Coughlan told the ardfheis.
Ms Coughlan said that in the upcoming world trade talks, Ireland's most crucial objective was to seek "the maximum possible level of protection from increased competition from third country imports in the arrangements for improved market access".
These arrangements for improved market access include the reduction of tariffs on imports from the least developed countries to allow them grow their economies through increasing exports.
Ms Coughlan said: "Where appropriate, I will seek to secure sensitive product status, thereby ensuring a lower rate of tariff reduction, for the particular products in which we have a direct interest."
Challenging claims that agriculture is becoming unimportant in the economy she said the agri-food sector accounts for 9 per cent of Ireland's GDP, 8 per cent of exports and just over a fifth of net foreign earnings from traded goods.
About one in 11 people is employed in this sector. "The importance of the agri-food industry cannot be overstated."
The Government would therefore "stand up for the cause and the future of Irish farming at the farm gate, in Dáil Éireann, in Brussels or at the World Trade Organisation."
She and the Taoiseach would continue to defend the CAP "against the recent, unwarranted and factually incorrect criticism by prime minister Tony Blair and other members of British cabinet".
Ireland is among the countries that believe the EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson has offered concessions beyond those allowed by the agreed EU position.
Ms Coughlan said she wanted to see an agreement in the WTO talks but not at any price. "I certainly do not accept that agriculture should be sacrificed as the price for a new agreement, or that farmers should bear a disproportionate burden in achieving a final agreement."
She said she wanted the EU system of direct payments to farmers to be exempt from any future reductions. Export subsidies should be phased out only after as long a period as possible.
She demanded to know what a coalition of Fine Gael/Labour and the Greens will offer to Irish agriculture.
"Where is their vision, where is their policy? How does the Green Party's insistence that we close down rural society by banning one-off housing sit with their would be partners?
"Farmers should be warned, be wary of the coalition's vision for the future. They cannot put out a joint policy document because they can't agree one."