Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael sold out the Irish fishing industry and is set now to sell out Irish agriculture. The Government faces a simple but serious choice. Will it stand with Irish farmers, rural communities and our domestic food sector or will it allow the Mercosur trade deal to sell them out?

Much was said by the Government in the past year and in the run-up to the general election about opposing the Mercosur deal, but the real test is upon it. Let us call the Mercosur deal what it is. It is a bad deal for our beef and suckler farmers, for the environment, for the world and for Ireland. I welcome those in the Public Gallery from the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association, ICSA, the Irish Farmers Association, IFA and other organisations. Every farming organisation in this country opposes the Mercosur deal. Every farmer who depends on a fair price, strong standards and a level playing field knows exactly what this agreement will mean. The EU will allow 99,000 tonnes of beef and 180,000 tonnes of poultry to flood into the European market, much of it produced under standards that would be illegal here. Irish farmers meet the highest levels of traceability, animal welfare and environmental regulation anywhere in the world. There is no equivalent system in Mercosur countries. There are no checks. There is no transparency and no balance. Cattle are not even tagged in many cases. Hormones, pesticides and antibiotics that are banned here and are illegal to use in the European Union are routinely used in production in Mercosur countries; yet the Government will allow that product to compete directly with Irish beef. It is not just unfair; it is a threat to public health and food security.

We are told to trust the so-called safeguard clause but it is nothing more than a political smokescreen. It will not protect Irish farm incomes and will not reverse the structural damage this agreement will cause. Environmentally, the consequences are devastating. As mentioned, the impact on the Amazon at a time of runaway climate change cannot be overstated. Tonight, Sinn Féin is asking this House to send a clear, united message, that Ireland says "No" to the Mercosur trade agreement. We are asking the Minister and his Government to send a clear message to the European Union, the Council and the Commission that we oppose the Mercosur trade agreement and that the Irish State will not accept it as a deal.

We are asking the Government to stop hiding behind excuses, to grow a backbone and to stand up for our family farmers and rural communities, and to work with those European states that are also opposed to this when we come to the Council meeting in December.

The Government can still choose to defend Irish agriculture. It is not too late to defend Irish standards and Irish jobs. It should support this motion, stand with farmers, and reject Mercosur.

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