Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Over the last week or ten days, I have read and followed closely the ministerial comments about the Mercosur trade deal. There seems to be a conflict. The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Bruton, tried to sell the deal when he took Leaders' Questions in this Chamber yesterday. He did this in his answers to Deputies Micheál Martin and Mary Lou McDonald, as well as myself and others, from the moment he stood up until the moment he sat down. He said many times that the deal had to be looked at "in the round". He said that the deal had positive aspects, but I do not believe that to be the case. It is a negative deal for our farming community. It is wrong for an Irish Government to try to promote such a deal by suggesting it has positive aspects. I am fully aware of the other aspects of the trade deal.

It would be totally negligent for any Minister for agriculture, Taoiseach, other member of the Government or backbench Deputy who supports the Government to say he or she would support this deal. It would be a sell-out of Irish farmers, who work hard to produce quality beef. The excellent product they produce has no hormones and can stand up to any traceability requirements. The record of our farm produce stands up favourably to what we will be getting from South American countries.

I was disappointed when the Minister, Deputy Bruton, let the cat out of the bag yesterday. I am not sure whether the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Creed, agrees with him. I would love it if the Minister, Deputy Creed, would contradict me in this regard. Maybe he will stand up here today, on behalf of the farmers he represents, and say he does not agree with the deal. He is from a farming community. He is not some townie who rolled up to Dublin. I know where he came from. His feet are on the ground. I trust him and rely personally on him. I am worried he will take the Government line, which is that there are positive aspects to the deal and that it has to be examined. It is rubbish to talk about evaluating it. I advised the Minister yesterday to ask any farmer who is trying to produce beef for his evaluation of the deal. All such farmers will tell the Minister that they are not making money. They will make even less money as a result of this deal.

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