John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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1758. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the current status of the Mercosur Trade Deal; the progress made on the Programme for Government commitment that the Government will “work with like-minded EU countries to stand up for Irish farmers and defend their interests in opposing the current Mercosur trade deal”; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45718/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Ireland has consistently highlighted that the EU trade agreement with Mercosur should include legally binding commitments on sustainability, including climate, biodiversity, and deforestation protections. As it stands, it is not clear that those legally binding assurances have been secured.

I am very aware that Irish and EU farmers are subject to complex regulations requiring them to farm in a sustainable manner. Therefore, it is difficult to explain to them why preferential access is being given to Mercosur, if we are not satisfied that its farmers are subject to the same requirements. 

The Programme for Government includes a commitment to work with like-minded EU countries in opposing the Mercosur Agreement in its current form. Both I and the Tánaiste, as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, are in ongoing engagement with our counterparts in the European Commission and in other Member States to voice our concerns in relation to the agreement.

As Minister, I have had the opportunity to raise concerns at Agri-Fish Council since my appointment earlier this year. I have also held bilateral meetings on the margins of the Council in recent months with my French, Austrian and Latvian counterparts where we exchanged views on these concerns.

I will continue to raise these issues with the Agriculture Ministers from like-minded member states at the appropriate fora going forward.