Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney has said Ireland is getting "some traction" in EU talks on milk quotas in Brussels.
Quotas are due to end in April 2015 and Mr Coveney said he is seeking to give the dairy sector "a little bit of a cushion" over the next 14 months.
He said his call for a "soft landing", in which farmers could produce "slightly more" than they planned, had secured the support of 12 other ministers.
He said Ireland plans to be the "fastest-growing milk producer on the planet" post quotas.
