Ireland to vote against Mercosur deal today, says Cork's Martin

Ireland will vote against the proposed Mercosur trade deal, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has confirmed.

The EU is to vote at a European Council meeting today on the trade deal with the South American Mercosur (El Mercado Común del Sur) countries of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

Speaking in Shanghai during his official visit to China, Mr Martin said while progress had been made around safeguards on imported beef from the South American countries, the concessions had not sufficiently allayed Irish concerns.

“We have to be confident that the standards that we have set now, and the obligations based on Irish and European farmers, are not undermined by food production systems that are not as carbon efficient and that don’t have the same stringent standards,” he said.

“So, in the round, acknowledging that progress has been made in terms of the safeguards, both the market safeguards and the pesticide issue. But in terms of that basic issue around the obligations and standards for Irish farmers, our sense is that we don’t have confidence that they won’t be undercut, so the Government will be voting no.”

Mr Martin said Irish farmers had been asked to make major undertakings to make agriculture more carbon efficient, adding that that they should not have to face competition from countries with lower climate standards.

“We now have one of the most carbon-efficient food production systems in the world, and we put in a lot of regulations, rightly so, that are very stringent in respect to consumer protection, food safety, carbon efficiency, climate protection measures,” he said.

Christopher O’Sullivan, Fianna Fáil TD for Cork South West, and minister of state for nature, heritage, and the environment, said the decision to vote no was correct. “The deal would undermine Irish farmers, particularly in the beef sector, by allowing imports produced to lower standards, with serious animal health concerns,” he said.

“Beef production is the biggest driver of deforestation in Brazil, destroying habitats and threatening endangered species.

“We cannot ask Irish farmers to protect nature, to make their farms more carbon efficient, while importing beef from systems that don’t meet the same standards.

“That’s why voting against Mercosur is the right decision, and why other European countries should follow.”

Michael Collins, Independent Ireland leader and TD for Cork South West, said his party was organising a demonstration against Mercosur in Athlone tomorrow, and he urged as many people as possible to attend.

“This deal threatens Irish farming, rural jobs and food standards,” Mr Collins said.

“The only language Europe understands is pressure. That’s why Saturday matters.

“A strong turnout sends a clear signal that Ireland will not accept a trade deal that sells out our farmers.”

Mr Collins said the protest would also demonstrate solidarity with farmers across Europe who are facing the same threat from the Mercosur agreement. “We urge farmers, families, and communities to come out on Saturday, stand together, and make their voices heard.”

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald described the Government’s decision to vote against the deal as “too little, too late”. She said the Government “sat on their hands when they should have shown leadership” and had “utterly failed to stand up for Ireland’s interests”. 

She said: “Their job was to stop Mercosur being introduced and they have massively failed.”