Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Is the Taoiseach aware that the European Union is completing the Mercosur trade deal at the moment? In the Programme for a Partnership Government there is a commitment to the farming sector and to the beef sector, in particular. Many beef farmers in Ireland are extremely concerned that this deal will open up the export of 100,000 tonnes of beef from Latin America to Europe. That will be a huge threat to our beef sector.

The Programme for a Partnership Government also has a commitment to the sustainable development goals the United Nations has put forward. Producing this beef from Latin America means cutting away the rain forests. There is also an environmental impact resulting from this. It is absolutely vital that the Government rejects this deal and does everything it can to ensure that the European Union does so. I know the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has made some moves in that direction and is trying to build relations with other European countries to ensure that we get a better deal which does not threaten our beef industry. However, we need a commitment from the Government that we will stand up for our beef farmers and, indeed, for the global environmental consequences of this deal.

See this speech in context