Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I share the Deputy’s concerns about the lack of an apparent level playing pitch. Most Irish farmers with whom I engage say they will take on competition from anywhere, as long as the playing pitch is level and we are comparing like with like. In that context, we need only recall the 2017 Brazilian meat scandal, the carne fraca scandal, with which I am sure the Deputy is familiar. This gives rise to legitimate cause for concern. Given that particular Brazilian exposure to shoddy practice, there is an opportunity for us in the context of a deal on outline arrangements to do with standards and environmental issues. Apart from the meat scandal, we know also about the disregard for environmental conditions and the attitude of the current Brazilian Administration to the broader climate change agenda. Accordingly, in many ways, we have been presented with an opportunity which we need to maximise. It is on the basis that we stitch in absolute conditionality about market access. We must negotiate to ensure there will not be access to our market, except if we are absolutely sure they meet our standards.

As part of our access to the Chinese beef market, Chinese inspectors will be coming here in August to inspect additional plants which are awaiting approval. We need to engage with the European Commission’s Food and Veterinary Office, FVO, which is based in Grange, County Meath and the European Food Safety Authority, EFSA, to ensure that, in the time before the document takes legal effect, we will guarantee that European consumers will be protected from any substandard product entering the market. We must also ensure the terms and conditions on which the product seeks access are the same as for the use of veterinary medicines, including being hormone-free, traceability, etc.

Therein lies the opportunity to level the playing pitch. We know from experience that there are different production systems. If they want access to our market, they have to comply. There is the opportunity in the intervening period to allow us to stitch in the conditionality to make sure it is absolutely watertight. We can ensure the conditions which I hope they will struggle to meet will thwart their ambition to deliver the 99,000 tonnes. That is the challenge for all of us in the intervening period. What we have is a headline agreement. What is imperative is that in the intervening period, whether it be on quota segmentation, in the environmental chapter or phytosanitary issues, we use every lever we have at our disposal to make sure the competition, if it is to arrive, will be fair.

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