Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)

I welcome the farming organisations who are represented in the Gallery today. It is the third time they have been here in the Dáil during the past week fighting for the survival of their members. I thank Sinn Féin for this motion on the Mercosur trade agreement, an issue that goes to the heart of Ireland's rural economy, our food standards and our environmental commitments. This deal as it stands poses a serious threat to Irish farming. It would open the door to 99,000 tonnes of South American beef entering the EU market every year, produced under conditions that fall far short of the standard we demand here. Growth hormones that are banned in Europe are still widely used in Brazil. There is no EU inspection system on the ground and past experience shows that meat cleared by Brazilian authorities has failed EU safety tests. Irish farmers have built a reputation for quality, traceability and sustainability. That reputation is not just a market slogan; it is a foundation of rural livelihoods. Yet, this deal risks flooding the market with beef at €3.50 per kilo compared with €9 or €10 for quality Irish beef. How can our farmers compete with that?

It is not just beef. Dairy exports, which some claim will benefit, will face the same reality. Mercosur dairy products are up to 40% cheaper than ours. The promised opportunities are, frankly, wishful thinking. We are told there will be safeguards but let us look at the facts. The proposed €1 billion safety net for farmers has been dropped. The environmental and human rights clauses sound good on paper but enforcement has been weak in other trade deals. These are not real protections; they are political cover.

This is why voices like Ciaran Mullooly, our Midlands-North-West MEP, have been campaigning tirelessly in Brussels to block this agreement. He has warned that this is not just an economic issue; it is a question of food safety, climate responsibility and fairness. Ciaran has built alliances with farming groups and secured commitments from France to oppose the deal. Ireland must do the same. The Government promised to oppose Mercosur. Tonight, we need to reaffirm that commitment. I am worried when I do not see agriculture Ministers across from us here showing the interest they should. We need our Government to stand up and make sure this will not stand. This Government needs to back Irish farmers, the people who put food on the table. Ireland must make its position crystal clear. This deal is unacceptable. Silence is not an option. This is a defining moment. Do we stand with our farmers, our rural communities and our environmental obligations or do we sign away those values for a deal that benefits others at our expense?

In rural Ireland, agriculture is not just an industry; it is a way of life. Up here in Dublin, some may not fully grasp that reality. We know the hard work it takes to run a farm. We know the dedication it takes to keep that farm alive. We know what it means when fathers and mothers dream of passing that land onto their children. Farming is not a job; it is in the blood, but our farmers are exhausted. They are buried under paperwork, strangled by bureaucracy and squeezed by regulations on nitrates. Now, if this Mercosur deal goes ahead, it will be the wipe-out of Irish farming. I urge the House to reject this agreement and to send a strong message to Brussels: Ireland will not sacrifice its standards, its farmers or its future

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