Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minster's opening statement definitely did not fill me or any other beef farmer with confidence. I am a dairy and beef farmer and I know full well the major economic pressure that our sector is under. The Minister also referred to the fact that other trade deals have been made in recent years. It is the case that numerous markets have been opened up for Irish beef. We have sold very little beef into those markets outside of the EU, however. The Minister stated that we have to look at the bigger picture. I interpret that as meaning that the Minister is stating that he is going to sacrifice our beef industry for the sake of other sectors.

He also asked if this deal represented a win or a loss for our economy. Ireland's rural economy cannot survive without our beef industry. It is the cornerstone of rural Ireland. If this going to be another occasion when something adjudged as good for the Pale is also seen as good for the rest of Ireland, then this Government will be neglecting rural Ireland. Our poultry and pig sectors will also come under pressure as there are concessions regarding those areas in the deal as well. We are going to be 116% self-sufficient in beef production in Europe when Brexit happens. It is incomprehensible that anyone would contemplate allowing beef from South America to enter the EU market in this context.

Deputy McConalogue mentioned climate change. This is the issue that is really annoying Irish farmers. They are prepared to adapt to climate change and they know that that adaptation will increase their costs of production. They are, however, prepared to do that because they recognise that climate change is a fact of life. What farmers cannot understand is this two-timing that the Commission is engaged in at the moment. It is agreeing a deal that will help the large industrial powers in Europe and that will be good for the Germans, the French and the Italians as it will allow them to sell their industrial goods in South America. We in Ireland, however, will be asked to tackle climate change while farmers in South America will be able to go ahead and do whatever they want.

There has been much publicity in the past concerning production standards in South America. We are told that there will now be an insistence on adherence to certain standards. A significant amount of South American beef is already entering Europe. This deal will put the final nail into the coffin of not just the Irish beef industry but the European beef industry.

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