Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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100. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware of any Brazilian or South American beef being imported into Ireland that is produced using hormones and antibiotics that are banned in Ireland under food safety standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66303/25]

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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As the Minister is aware, there is great concern about the Mercosur trade agreement. Even before it comes into place, tens of thousands of tonnes of Brazilian beef are being imported into the European Union. Much of this beef has been produced using hormones and antibiotics that are banned in the European Union and in Ireland. The Irish Farmers' Journal and the Irish Farmers Association did great work going out there to investigate this and they have reported on it. Have we done similar investigations in Ireland into beef that has been coming into this State from Brazil and other Mercosur countries and the levels of antibiotics and hormones that are used?

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Kenny for raising this point. Reports of the Irish Farmers' Journal investigation into the sale of hormones and antibiotics in Brazil raise important issues and merit careful examination. We know that Brazilian beef already enters the EU market and it is, therefore, important to ensure that none of the unregulated products referenced in the investigation are used in its production. While there is no evidence that this is the case, these reports reinforce the need for continued vigilance.

According to Central Statistics Office data for the last number of years, Ireland has not imported beef product in any significant quantities from Brazil. In 2024, imports from Brazil amounted to 97 tonnes of a total of 34,000 tonnes imported. Beef imports from other Mercosur countries were virtually nil. The EU has very stringent standards, known as SPS, sanitary and phytosanitary, standards, to protect human, animal and plant health. These are among the highest standards in the world and the European Commission has insisted they are not negotiable. These SPS standards remain unaltered, regardless of any trade agreement concluded by the EU.

This is something that came up during my trade mission to America in April, when the insinuation was made that our blocking of hormone-fed beef into the EU was a non-tariff trade barrier. It is not. We do not want hormone-fed beef in Europe, European consumers do not want it and the European Union is opposed to having it in here. America has access to supply 35,000 tonnes to the EU, which is a small amount relatively, but it is not filling it because it is not interested in the difficulty in supplying it. It just goes to show the context of SPS standards, which are different from environmental standards. They are non-negotiable and the Government is very firmly of the view that these EU SPS standards must continue to be rigorously upheld for the benefit of European consumers. It is also important that the European Commission continues to engage with the Brazilian authorities to ensure this is the case. We will continue to make that point with officials across the EU.

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister. I am aware there are very small amounts of Brazilian beef coming into Ireland, of course, but quite large amounts are coming into the European Union as a whole. As the Minister said, the standards we expect Irish and European farmers to meet are not being met by the Mercosur countries, in particular Brazil, in respect of beef. We also have a problem with chicken and other products. To focus specifically on the beef issue, the reality is that Irish farmers and Irish consumers will be put at risk if we have a food safety issue whereby the beef and products coming in from these countries are not to the same standards and are using hormones, pesticides and antibiotics that are banned in the European Union.

There is a great deal of evidence, and not only from what has been uncovered by the Irish Farmers' Journal and the IFA. For a long time, it has been widely known there is no traceability, there is widespread mass vaccination of animals in these countries, and there is no way they can possibly meet the same standards that European consumers expect for their food. In this context, will the Minister ensure the Irish Government blocks the trade agreement at the European Council meeting and forms a minority there to do so? France is already interested in doing this, as is Poland. I understand that Hungary announced this morning it will do so. If Ireland is on board with this, we are very close to a position where we can block this agreement.

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I am happy to discuss the proposal on the trade agreement. I have held the Government position, as outlined in the programme for Government, to work with like-minded countries, as I have done since 23 January, which share similar concerns about the Mercosur trade deal and the impact it could have on trade. It is a different point from the question. The Mercosur trade agreement is about tariff rates. It is about the point at which it comes in and whether it gets preferential tariff rates. SPS standards and food safety standards are non-negotiable. For product coming into Europe already, and Deputy Kenny made the point that very little of it comes into Ireland but plenty of it comes into the EU, it is a non-negotiable standard.

I do not accept that it has been known for a long time that there are lower standards there. No more than we do not get hormone-fed beef from other member states, we do not accept it into the EU from Mercosur countries either. There are very clear audits. We need to double down with the European Commission to make sure the audits, checks and testing of product coming in are rigorous, and that the tests in Mercosur countries and here are rigorous, because this is non-negotiable. The concerns I have on the trade side are about environmental standards but they are very different from SPS standards.

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister's answer is concerning. Basically he is saying he wants to shift the responsibility over to trade, and that it is a trade negotiation.

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I will answer on the trade agreement.

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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The reason I asked the question in this context is that I was afraid if I tabled it to the Minister as a trade question, I would be told it should go to the Minister with responsibility for trade. This is why I asked it in the context I did, as the Minister will understand. The Minister mentioned the programme for Government and working with like-minded countries. There are already at least three, and maybe more, like-minded countries that are prepared to form a blocking minority. Is Ireland prepared to be part of that and to block the trade deal, not only to be there to stand firm for Irish farmers but also for European consumers faced with the huge negative health consequences of importing very dangerous product into the European Union, which is produced using products that are banned in the European Union?

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I was answering the specific point on SPS first and I am happy to discuss the trade agreement also. Throughout the EU Mercosur negotiation process, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, who has lead responsibility for trade agreements policy, and I have actively engaged with the European Commission and other member states to voice Ireland's concerns about the EU-Mercosur agreement. While I am not the Minister with lead responsibility for this, the impact of it would be greatest on our beef farmers so, of course, I have an interest. That is why, since my appointment as Minister in January, I have raised these concerns at every AGRIFISH Council I have attended. Trade is on the agenda of every meeting and I have raised our concerns about Mercosur at every meeting. I have also raised them with like-minded counties through bilateral meetings on the margins of these Council meetings. In recent months, I have met with my French, Italian, Austrian, Latvian and Polish counterparts to exchange views. Most recently, I have met with my Italian and French counterparts en marge of the November AGRIFISH Council meeting in Brussels, which was only ten days ago. We continue to engage and share these points, for the very reason Deputy Kenny has outlined.