Cabinet Committees
Dail Éireann — 2026-02-10
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Peadar Tóibín (AON), Meath West

Some 1,400 farmers are leaving agriculture on an annual basis, with 8,400 farmers having left since Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael got together back in 2020. Another 5,600 will have disappeared from the land by the time this Government is finished. That is the stark reality facing farmers at the moment. The Mercosur deal is simply going to accelerate that process. Farm incomes will be lower, there will be rural depopulation and the food security of this country will also be threatened. The idea that we have Mr. Murrin importing beef that would likely fail the standards Bord Bia is using to audit farmers across the country is incredible. This week, we in Aontú found out that the Department of education is paying for food under the schools food programme that is coming from Brazil. Is it any wonder there is a collapse in farm incomes and numbers in this country when the Government is acting against the best interests of farmers?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-02-10/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:36+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-10