Fianna Fáil TD for Sligo-Leitrim, Marc Mac
Sharry, has said the government should oppose any ratification of the Mercosur
deal as it would be catastrophic for farmers in the North West.
Deputy Mac Sharry commented, “This deal has
taken almost 20 years to negotiate and Irish farmers have opposed the proposals
in it every step of the way. Now, the government should listen to farming
concerns and oppose any ratification of the Mercosur deal as the full impact of
Brexit has not yet emerged.
“This deal will see 99,000 tonnes of South American beef allowed into the
European market every year destroying opportunity for Irish beef farmers.
“This deal will also have a detrimental impact on the
environment. It seems ironic that on the one hand the government and
the EU talks about reducing our carbon footprint to mitigate climate change,
while on the other they have no issue with flying South American beef thousands
of kilometres into Europe.
“Minister Creed knows that this is a bad deal for Ireland. The
government have repeatedly let down farming communities across Sligo, Leitrim,
Roscommon, and Donegal. It would be reckless to ratify this deal, even more so
as the uncertainty of Brexit looms over the Agri-sector in Ireland.
“This is an exceptionally volatile period and I believe the EU should not take
any decisions on this deal until the full post-Brexit scenario is known”, concluded
Deputy Mac Sharry.
