Fine Gael has failed farmers and farming families by refusing to support a Sinn Féin motion which calls for a binding Oireachtas vote on the Mercosur deal.
The Sinn Féin motion is very clear on Mercosur. It demands a binding vote in the Oireachtas before the Government can officially sign up to the deal. A vote in the Oireachtas is the clearest way to see where the various parties stand on the issue. You either support the deal or not.
Mercosur will see the importing of 99,000 tonnes of beef into the European Union per year, tariff free, which will devastate the Irish beef industry, while simultaneously doing severe climate damage
We have been very critical of the deal, not only now, but throughout the entire negotiation process. My colleague, Matt Carty, has followed the progress of the deal and has warned of the dangers throughout the process.
We want to be an effective opposition and offer real solutions. Our motion on Mercosur offers the best protection to farmers. A clear open vote is needed to show the Irish people exactly where their elected representatives stand.
We need to ensure that Ireland’s interests are put to the fore in all engagements on this matter, including using all legal and political means available to frustrate and thwart the deal. It is important that this State nominates a suitably competent person to defend Ireland’s interests as the next EU Commissioner.
