Carol Nolan (Offaly, Independent)

Whatever way you slice it, this Mercosur madness is a disastrous deal for Ireland and I remain strongly opposed to it. If it is pushed through and ratified by a qualified majority, then the EU Commission will have very clearly signalled its contempt not just for the sovereignty of this Parliament but for the livelihoods of the farmers that it will destroy. Far from being our ally and our friend, this Commission has demonstrated a willingness to smother our rural economy in its sleep. It simply does not care what the outcomes are for Ireland. It is, quite literally, a poisonous deal as we know that South American meat often uses growth-promoting hormones and antibiotics that are banned in the EU, potentially increasing carcinogenic risks for Irish consumers. The arguments against this deal have been rehearsed so many times. In fact, the deal has managed to unite farmers and environmentalists in their opposition to it, but for very different reasons. There is no doubt whatsoever that Ireland stands to lose out disproportionately due to our reliance on high-value, standards compliance farming. The critical issues have not been mitigated despite our clear warnings to the EU Commission. Some of the those warnings include the deal allowing for 99,000 tonnes of tariff-free beef primarily from Brazil and Argentina, not just as a once-off but annually, undercutting Irish farmers' prices amid current high market values and threatening our sector viability. What we need here is a commitment from the Government. The Government must stand with our farming community. This deal must be opposed and a message of strong opposition has to be sent to the EU Commission now. The Government needs to get off the fence and stand with our farmers.

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