Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)

I welcome the farming organisations. I welcome this motion. In the summer of 2024, when the political machines were flying around this country, the promises to all of the farming organisations, farmers and voters that Mercosur would be opposed were plenty. In November, it was said again. I was looking at the programme for Government again this evening. It stated that the Government would "work with like-minded EU countries to stand up for Irish farmers and defend our interests in opposing the current Mercosur trade deal." What I have heard tonight is like a fella sitting on the fence and a fella who is going to fall into Ursula von der Leyen's side of the field, not into the side of farmers right around the country. It was astonishing to hear a Minister for agriculture basically say we will look at this, that and the other. Do not give a promise a year ago that the Government will do something if it is not going to deliver it. Do not fool the people around this country and in the agricultural sector if it will not deliver what it said it would.

Tonight, Deputy Martin Kenny and all of the representatives in agriculture had a meeting with the Polish committee on agriculture. They are fully opposed to Mercosur. They will work with us. In the committee, we are trying to build relationships. We are going to talk to the French, the Austrians and the Italians. This work on the Mercosur deal should have been done by our Minister already to build relationships everywhere. The Polish are completely opposed to it, so we have allies if we want to use them, or do we have the towel thrown in, with the secret deal done behind the scenes?

In the last couple of weeks, we heard the Commissioner talk. The Commissioner was in Ireland and stated very clearly, in committee room two, that if cattle or beef prices dropped 6%, 7%, 8% or 9% per year, the handbrake would not come on. During the week you would not know if it is the cable that is gone in the handbrake with the way it is now. They will not give a yes-no answer because they are muddying the water and leaving farmers not knowing what the terms and conditions are. The fact is that if prices do not drop by more than 10%, farmers are in trouble. That has not changed.

This is a grubby deal for the simple reason that it has been split in Europe so that there will be no vote in this Parliament here. We can blame someone else and say they did that abroad in Europe. I welcome Ciaran Mullooly and the rest of the MEPs such as Michael McNamara, who have gone to the courts to try to do something. I am not a believer in the European Court of Justice, ECJ, because I think it is a kangaroo court and I do not think we will get what we deserve out of that.

Our MEPs need to build relationships, our Government needs to build relationships and we on the agriculture committee will build relationships that are as good as possible. However, at the end of the day, this will be sorted in the Council of Ministers. If the Government has the liarthróidí, do not be afraid to be on the other side of the fence. Do not be afraid to say you do not agree with what the EU is doing and you are opposing it, and let others stand up with you. The simple reason is that there will be 7 million more cattle from now to 2033 in Brazil. As has been brought up - I welcome this point as well - the poultry sector in Ireland will be decimated by this deal. There is also the issue of traceability and hormones.

We all know what is going on. They built a road through the rainforest for COP30 and these are the people who will be saving the world. The Minister and the Government have to make a decision. Last year, they assured the Irish people, not alone during the summer but before the election as well. Plenty of politicians who are elected here met the farming organisations right around their constituencies and guaranteed them that there was no way they would let this deal through. Sadly, tonight I am a bit hoarser than I was a year ago. Some of us have stood by this. This Government needs to stand up for the Irish farming sector and be counted. If it does not do that, it will not be tomorrow or next year or the year after that we will see the results. It will be in nine and ten years' time that the farmers of Ireland will suffer for this.

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