Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Government members like to be good Europeans. We like to be the good boys who will do whatever is asked of us in Europe. This is a serious issue. Agriculture and its offshoots are the biggest indigenous industry in Ireland. Beef is one of the main offshoots of the agricultural sector. We consume 10% of the beef we produce and export the remaining 90%. Half of our beef is exported to Britain, with 40% exported to the rest of Europe. Brexit is coming down the line in the next three months and we do not know where 50% of our beef production will go. The 40% we export to Europe will be undermined by the Mercosur deal. Something has to give here. Rather than being the good boys of Europe, the Minister and the Taoiseach must go back to the EU and say enough is enough and we must protect the beef sector, our biggest indigenous industry.

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