Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)

If this is how the Department operates on a domestic scheme, why would farmers trust them with something as consequential as Mercosur? Fianna Fáil's position is straightforward. We support trade but not at the expense of Irish agriculture. We recognise the export opportunities in services, engineering and life sciences but not at the cost of the farmers in the north east or anywhere else. The programme for Government is explicit: Ireland will stand by like-minded EU countries to defend our farmers and oppose any Mercosur agreement that does not deliver binding commitments on climate, biodiversity, deforestation and fair product standards. That remains our position. Farmers want honesty, consistency and a Government that keeps its word. Fianna Fáil will continue to fight for exactly that because rural Ireland cannot be asked to carry the risk of trade while trust at home has already been undermined.

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