Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have a question about the Mercosur deal. There has been a lot of discussion in recent years about open trade policy and a number of trade deals have been agreed. However, the current negotiations with Mercosur countries give rise to concern, particularly about the amount of beef being imported into Europe. As I stated, direct payments contribute up to 113% of beef farmers' incomes. If there are more imports of beef into Europe, it will have a detrimental effect. There is also an issue with the standard of produce from other countries. Has the Taoiseach had an indication of what the final agreement might be? What guarantees have we received on overall standards?