Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I thank Deputy Brennan for raising this issue on behalf of farmers in Wicklow and Wexford. I know the Minister for agriculture, Deputy Martin Heydon, is working very hard in relation to this issue. In fact, he is working very hard on a number of issues, be it the nitrates derogation, Mercosur, and getting a properly adequately resourced CAP with less bureaucracy that works for farmers in the new multi-annual financial framework. I support him in all of that work too.

Deputy Brennan is right to highlight this issue. The EU does have very stringent standards, which we know as the sanitary and phytosanitary standards, SPS. They are there to protect everyone - to protect human health, animal health and plant health. The standards are among the highest in the world and they are non-negotiable. They have to apply equally to food produced in EU member states and they have to apply also to food that comes in from other countries. Ireland continues to engage through the Minister, Deputy Heydon, and others in relation to all of these issues, and also in ascertaining if the blocking minority in relation to Mercosur is still in place. The Minister, with the full support of the Government, is very actively involved in all of these issues. I thank the Deputy for raising it.

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