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

The Deputy is consistent in that he consistently opposes every trade deal. I have taken the view, as have many Members, that as a small island nation that exports more than 90% of our agrifood production to in excess of 180 countries around the world, we do so by virtue of our membership of a trading bloc of more than 500 million people, which allows us to negotiate trade agreements. As a consequence we are exporting to those 180 different countries. The EU recently concluded free trade agreements with Japan, Singapore, Mexico and Canada. We have both offensive and defensive interests in all trade deals, and we try to secure the best outcome in those negotiations, which are in the context of our sovereignty in those areas pooled at a EU level.

The beef element of this trade proposal is challenging for our agrifood sector. In the period ahead where we move to a legal document, there will be opportunities to influence that.

8 o’clock

For correction purposes, it is not a tariff-free proposal for 99,000 tonnes, it is 7.5%, progressively, over the period of implementation. I do not want to get lost in a moot point because the critical issue is the 99,000 tonnes, which could be additional to the existing access, which is at most favoured nation, MFN, tariff rates. We need to work to mitigate the excesses of the proposal by ensuring that we can invoke the labour element, the climate issues and sanitary and phytosanitary, SPS, standards, to limit the damage this will do to our sector. That is the opportunity I see to thwart the ambition on the other side.

Deputy Boyd Barrett's argument is anti-trade generally. When President Trump or others talk about protectionism, that sends a shiver down the spine of the agrifood sector more than any other sector in the country because we depend on trade but that trade must be negotiated to our best advantage and that is the challenge. This is not a done deal.

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