The Minister for Agriculture, Joe Walsh, has rejected criticisms of the CAP reform package in th Dail today.
He said the deal represented a successful outcome, from Ireland's point of view. But he warned that the dairy industry had to reform as selling into EU Intevention was not the way to build a viable industry.
The deal involves substantial reductions in subsidies paid to farmers. Ireland's two main farm organisations - the IFA and the ICMSA - have given a hostile reaction to the deal.
IFA President, John Dillon, has said the reforms of the CAP are a savage blow to the 27,000 dairy farmers in Ireland.
Mr Dillon said the deal would benefit farmers in the US, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand at the expense of their EU counterparts.
He also said he would call a meeting of the IFA's National Council on Monday to discuss the reforms, and that members throughout the country would make their anger known to local politicians.
The president of the ICMSA, Pat O'Rourke, said the reforms would result in a cut of at least one third for dairy farmers' incomes.
Fianna Fáil TD Ned O'Keeffe has said he was very concerned at dairy cuts, and he feared they would lead to job losses.
Elsewhere, the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers' Association has welcomed the deal.
The association's president, John Deegan, said the reforms represented the best possible result for Ireland.
