Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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116. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the food standards of South American agricultural products that may be imported into Ireland; if he is concerned that they are being produced using hazardous pesticides that have been banned in the EU for decades; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66484/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Reports of the 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 was virtually nil.

The EU has very stringent standards, known as SPS (sanitary and phytosanitary) standards, to protect human, animal and plant health. These are amongst the highest in the world, and the European Commission has insisted that they are not negotiable. These SPS standards remain unaltered regardless of any trade agreements concluded by the EU.

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 that this is the case.

Production standards go beyond SPS standards, and take other issues into account, including environmental sustainability.

The Commission has committed to rolling out initiatives in this area as set out in the Vision for Agriculture and Food, including steps towards potential alignment of production standards between domestic and imported products - notably on pesticides and animal welfare - and an increase in SPS checks.

On pesticides, the Commission has established a principle that the most hazardous pesticides banned in the EU for health and environmental reasons are not allowed back to the EU through imported products.