Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements
Dail Éireann — 2025-12-16
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Micheál Martin (FF), Cork South-Central

-----in terms of securing additional safeguards. Quite a significant number of safeguards have been secured. That is contrary to what was there a year ago. They are taking the form of legal instruments that the Commission has committed to.
We succeeded in securing the nitrates derogation. It is a significant advancement that we now have that for a further three years. It was challenging and difficult. We worked hard with the Commission to get it over the line. Approximately 200,000 tonnes of Mercosur beef come into Europe on an annual basis as it stands. The new initiative under Mercosur would allow 99,000 of those to be brought in under a reduced tariff preference. The Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, spoke about the wider issues around Mercosur. All trade agreements bring benefits and losses. There is no heresy in saying that. The Canada deal was tremendous for Ireland in terms of the increased exports for SMEs and so on. I accept that every agreement is different. At the moment, there is no sense of any breakthrough or agreement in respect of Mercosur. That is where we are at present.
Deputy Ó Murchú referred to the Clongriffin to Drogheda service. Capital is not limitlessness.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2025-12-16/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:28+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-12-16