Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 174 and 176 together.

I thank Deputy Ó Murchú. His party is working him hard today. I assure him that my officials and I remain in ongoing and close contact with a number of like-minded countries, including France, which the Deputy referenced in the question, on our opposition to the current EU-Mercosur trade deal. Indeed, as I stated in response to an earlier question, I held a bilateral meeting on 14 April with my French counterpart, the foreign minister, Mr. Barrot, at which we discussed international trade developments, including the Mercosur agreement.

Regarding the meeting referred to in the question, I hope the Deputy appreciates that it is not possible for the Government to attend every meeting but Ireland is very active in this space. As a small, open economy, we depend for our prosperity upon good two-way trading relations with the nations of the world. That is an important context. Ireland has traditionally always been a supporter of free, fair and open trade, in particular via the EU's free trade agreements. That is why I sought approval for legislative change at Cabinet this week that will allow us to ratify CETA, the free trade agreement with Canada. We have always been clear, however, that such agreements must defend our vulnerable sectors and that our farmers’ livelihoods must not be undermined through weak or ineffective environmental standards in other countries. Our position is clearly outlined in the programme for Government, which states that the Government will work with like-minded EU countries to stand up for Irish farmers and defend our interests in opposing the current Mercosur trade deal. In our trade negotiations, we have always been guided by standing up for and defending the interests of Irish farmers, along with securing enhanced market access opportunities for them and agrifood exports from our country.

On 6 December 2024, the European Commission announced that it had concluded negotiations with Mercosur. Since then, officials from my Department and other Departments have been carefully analysing the text of the additional legal instrument addressing sustainability commitments. My officials and I have continued to engage at EU level at every opportunity, with both the European Commission directly through the trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič and with counterparts in EU member states, including France, to voice our concerns with the agreement and to interrogate the outcome of negotiations to assess if our concerns have been adequately addressed. I am not convinced they have been.

While our engagements with the Commission and counterparts in other EU member states are continuing, Ireland’s position on the EU-Mercosur agreement remains as clearly outlined in the programme for Government.

See this speech in context