Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 33, 35 and 45 together.

These questions relate to the EU's negotiations with the Mercosur countries on a new bilateral trade deal. In case the House is not aware, this represents an extraordinary threat to the Irish beef industry because in essence what may happen is that the European beef sector would be sacrificed to allow European financial services and other product services to access South American markets, primarily Argentina and Brazil. We cannot allow this.

In my first Council meeting, which was last month, I made it very clear that it makes absolutely no sense for many reasons to allow for a very large quota of increased beef trade coming into the European Union to displace beef that is produced in countries such as Ireland. It makes no sense from a climate change perspective as we produce beef with the lowest carbon footprint in the world because we have a grass-based system while most of the beef produced in South America is from much more intensive system with a much higher methane footprint which is referred to as a carbon footprint. From a climate change point of view, it is totally contrary to what the European Union is trying to do.

From a food security point of view, it makes no sense because Ireland produces beef cattle at a standard that is matched nowhere else in the world as far as I am concerned from the point of view of animal husbandry, inputs and traceability. European consumers can rest assured when they purchase and eat Irish meat products. I cannot see any sense in the European Union simply replacing Irish meat. We export 80% of everything we produce. Most other beef industries feel threatened by Mercosur for domestic reasons but we export to other European countries.

We are in the process of a negotiation and countries such as Ireland need to do everything we can to help other countries understand the significance of the beef industry and beef exports to this country, certainly in the context of what we state in the Food Harvest 2020 document. We cannot allow a political deal to be done that will sacrifice our industry to allow European financial services, motor cars from Germany or whatever the industry may be to access markets in South America.

Another Council meeting will be held tomorrow; this issue is on the agenda and I will raise it. We have convinced the Commissioner that this represents a significant danger to the European beef sector but we must allow him also to get more support in the Commission for the concerns Ireland and a number of other countries have in this regard. I have met the Spanish Minister and the French Minister, Bruno Lemair, who have similar concerns to those of Ireland. We are in the process of building an alliance to try to prevent a potential catastrophe for the Irish beef sector should the wrong deal be signed with Mercosur countries. We will continue this political effort tomorrow.

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