Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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The Commissioner is very welcome to Ireland. I am from the small village of Graiguenamanagh in County Kilkenny on the Kilkenny-Carlow border in the south east of Ireland. I cannot impress upon the Commissioner enough the significance and importance of the agribusiness and agrifood sector to Ireland. It is not just about the trade; it is also about the impact it has on local shops, local sports clubs and the local community. It is the heart and soul of Ireland and rural Ireland in particular, which I represent.

The agrifood sector in Ireland employs approximately 170,000 people. It is a huge employer in a population of 5.5 million. As said by previous speakers, our agrifood exports accounted for approximately €20 billion last year. It was a record year for us. It comprises 10% of our overall exports. Agriculture matters to the people in this room and to this country. I acknowledge there are a lot of economic opportunities with the Mercosur deal, but there are risks as well. Balancing those economic opportunities with the potential risks, in particular to the agrisector that I represent and the people in this room represent, is absolutely vital. I would be interested in the Commissioner's comments and views on that. What comfort can he give us to allay the fears and worries the Irish people have regarding the Mercosur deal, given the importance it has for us? In the Commissioner's view, how will the Mercosur agreement impact Irish agricultural exports, particularly in beef, which comprises such a large portion of our exports?

Standards were mentioned by previous speakers. This issue comes up every day in this room because the standards the Irish farmer has to adhere to are so high. The Commissioner said that Europe is a superpower in the agrifood sector but Ireland is a superpower within the European superpower. The standards that are set are so high, and we meet them and fulfil them every day of the week. There is a genuine worry and fear that the same standards are not being applied in the Mercosur countries. It is grand to assess products when they come into Europe but we need to make sure there are standards that are being are maintained over there as well in order to ensure that when the beef comes in, it is of a certain standard.

There approximately 5.5 million people living in Ireland. We produce enough food to feed approximately 45 million people. We are a net exporter of food and a net contributor to the European Union in the agricultural sector. The Commissioner touched earlier on the protections that will be built into the agreement to protect the Irish agrifood sector. Could he expand on them? He mentioned that legal issues could arise if a country goes below a certain percentage. I ask him to expand on that.