Michael Fitzmaurice: Urges Government to Oppose Mercosur Deal
Michael Fitzmaurice warned the Mercosur deal would unduly affect Irish farmers and urged the Government to oppose it. He raised concerns about new tariffs on imports (including distiller's grain and maize), shortfalls in naval manpower and equipment, EU budget contributions, and called for a referendum on neutrality.
Michael Fitzmaurice said the Mercosur deal risks harming Irish agriculture and urged ministers to block it in Europe. He warned that Europe will apply tariffs and highlighted distiller's grain — about 60% of which comes to Ireland — and warned that combined with maize imports the cost could add roughly €40-€50 a tonne onto meals.
He said the "risky industry, and other industries, is at serious risk as well," arguing import-price rises would damage domestic processors and farmers. He called on the Government to press for changes to trade terms to protect Irish supply chains.
Fitzmaurice recounted that two naval ships recently could not leave port because of manpower shortages and urged action on retention and recruitment. He called for proper vessels and investment in cables and domestic maritime assets, while distinguishing national defence needs from proposed European budget contributions — questioning reports of putting £700 million into an EU budget compared with £2 billion from Germany and noting population differences.
He pointed to a recent vote in Europe where some government MEPs voted for a measure, Fianna Fáil later changed their vote, and some independents abstained. Fitzmaurice argued any changes to neutrality should be decided by a referendum of the people and criticised Europe's tactical role so far in negotiations over Ukraine, calling it a "hurler on the ditch" in the talks.
Mercosur and tariffs
Michael Fitzmaurice said the Mercosur deal risks harming Irish agriculture and urged ministers to block it in Europe. He warned that Europe will apply tariffs and highlighted distiller's grain — about 60% of which comes to Ireland — and warned that combined with maize imports the cost could add roughly €40-€50 a tonne onto meals.
Impact on agriculture and industry
He said the "risky industry, and other industries, is at serious risk as well," arguing import-price rises would damage domestic processors and farmers. He called on the Government to press for changes to trade terms to protect Irish supply chains.
Maritime security and defence spending
Fitzmaurice recounted that two naval ships recently could not leave port because of manpower shortages and urged action on retention and recruitment. He called for proper vessels and investment in cables and domestic maritime assets, while distinguishing national defence needs from proposed European budget contributions — questioning reports of putting £700 million into an EU budget compared with £2 billion from Germany and noting population differences.
Neutrality, recent European votes and Ukraine
He pointed to a recent vote in Europe where some government MEPs voted for a measure, Fianna Fáil later changed their vote, and some independents abstained. Fitzmaurice argued any changes to neutrality should be decided by a referendum of the people and criticised Europe's tactical role so far in negotiations over Ukraine, calling it a "hurler on the ditch" in the talks.
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Transcript
I welcome the opportunity to speak on this. In the line of security, there are a lot of headwinds blowing at the moment in the line of the Mercosur deal. I think that Irish farmers would be unduly affected by it. I would urge the Government to oppose it. In the line of the tariffs, I think that while it will be basically Europe that will be putting a number of different types of things, it is going to have a tariff on it. I think the likes of distiller's grain, the 60% of it that comes to Europe comes to Ireland. And in talking to the importers of the grain side of it, if this comes in, along with the maize side of it, it would put something like €40, €50 a tonne onto meals. I would urge our Ministers when they are in Europe to bring this forward, that it would not happen. The risky industry, and other industries, is at serious risk as well. In the line of security, I agree that Ireland, like we had last year or the year before, we had two of our naval ships that were not able to leave the port for the simple reason we had not manpower. The first thing we need to do is get retention and take on more staff. The second thing we need to do is have proper vehicles basically to cover our own seas. And I do agree with spending money on that as a country. But we need to separate the wood from the trees. It is a totally different thing protecting your own country and making sure, and in the line of cables and everything, we need to make sure that we put money into that. But that is a totally different thing from putting what I hear talks of £700 million into a budget in Europe, when the likes of Germany has to put in £2 billion, where I think 15 times smaller in population than Germany. which does not make sense in the line of that. One thing we need to do, and you know there was a vote in Europe in the last week or ten days, and some government MEPs voted for, where I think Fianna Fáil changed their vote later, and so did our independents, basically abstained, where we need to decide where we are going in this neutrality thing. And I think if a government is not afraid, a government is elected by the people to represent the people. And anything that has been done on neutrality, in my opinion, needs to be put to a referendum of the people. Because at the end of the day, it is the people of this country that puts each and every one of us here, and we should respect that in the line of our neutrality. I would, you know, in the line of, say, talks that is going on at the moment, unfortunately Europe seems to be a hurler on the ditch when it comes to the negotiations at the moment on Ukraine. And I think they have tactically not manoeuvred themselves properly to be more involved, unfortunately. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. So, thank you.