Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As we meet here this afternoon, farmers are at the gates protesting against the trade deal agreed between the European Union and Mercosur countries just over a week ago. All of the main farming organisations across the island are utterly opposed to the deal and for very good reason. The Mercosur deal represents a sell-out of Irish farmers and their families. It is devastating news for the rural economy and flies in the face of commitments made to tackle climate change.

Irish beef is the best in the world and let there be no doubt about this. Through no fault of their own, farmers and their families are under massive pressure. There has been a sustained decline in beef prices over the last number of years and farmers are being fleeced by factories that do not pay a fair price for their cattle. Farmers are already suffering because of Brexit and any prospect of a hard or chaotic Brexit will be utterly devastating for the sector. In the middle of all of this, at a time when farm incomes are at disastrously low levels, the European Commission seeks to plough ahead with a deal that would cripple Irish agriculture by allowing tens of thousands of tonnes of cheap meat into the European Union and Ireland. All of this makes absolutely no sense. In fact, it is an insult to farmers, their families and everyone who relies on the beef industry in particular to make a living.

It also makes no sense from an environmental perspective. In fact, I would say it makes a mockery of the European Union's concerns surrounding climate change. We all know the Amazon is being destroyed on a daily basis because of illegal logging and to make way for new cattle ranches. This policy is supported by the new president of Brazil and undoubtedly it will continue and be accelerated if the deal is approved. The Dáil recently declared a climate emergency and the Government recently launched its climate action plan. This deal and the Government's support for it renders both of these initiatives utterly meaningless. The deal needs to be stopped. That is what we need to do. To this end, Sinn Féin has a motion coming before the Dáil this afternoon that calls on the Government in no uncertain terms to stand up for Irish interests and to oppose the deal. The motion can be the first meaningful step in defeating what is a bad deal for our farmers, our environment and our country. I ask the Taoiseach to do the right thing and support the motion this afternoon when it comes before the House.

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