Deputy Mary Lou McDonald- speech from 26 Nov 2025

Teachta, the Mercosur trade agreement would be a disaster for Irish farmers, for consumers and for our environment. Last week Sinn Fein tabled a Dáil motion calling on Government to oppose the deal and TDs from across the political divide including many of your own backbench TDs spoke strongly against the deal. However, Minister Hayden refuses to state the Government would oppose the deal or seek to form a blocking minority to the deal. He stated that no other EU state is considering this approach. That is not true. We know that France, Poland and Austria are weighing up such a move. This is an opportunity to defend Irish farmers, protect Irish agriculture and stop this ruinous deal in its tracks. Will you now commit the Government to vote against the Mercosur deal at the EU Council meeting in December and will you seek to form a blocking minority with like-minded EU member states? First of all, we have committed the Government to work with like-minded states, particularly France, Poland and Italy, in respect of the Mercosur deal. And additional safeguards, by the way, have resulted from that endeavour, which are now hopefully being translated into a legal instrument. We still have concerns, of course, we have with the Mercosur deal. There are many issues on the agricultural portfolio that I am dealing with, and Minister Hayden in particular dealing with the Commission on Nitrates Directive Mercosur. The financial framework for farmers, which currently the draft multi-financial framework only gives farmers about 80% of what we got at the last occasion. That is a big issue that we have to negotiate down the line with the Commission as well. But the blocking majority, all countries are engaging with the Commission, those particular countries that you have mentioned, in respect of Mercosur. And it is not as clear as you have suggested. соответствующaram Quinnipar