Trade Agreements
Dail Éireann — 2025-10-14
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Matt Carthy (SF), Cavan-Monaghan

I would love to hear an argument being put forward by an agriculture Minister anywhere that would suggest that the Mercosur trade agreement would benefit farmers in any part of Europe.
This is more about auto parts and the car industry rather than anything else. In terms of what it means for Ireland, this allows Mercosur states, which do not adhere to anywhere near the same level of regulations and restrictions with which our farmers must comply, to import 100,000 tonnes of additional beef into our market. We know the impact that would have on the Irish beef sector, which is trying to diversify and find new markets post Brexit. It also allows for 180,000 tonnes of poultry. That will have a big impact on my constituency, which has a vibrant poultry sector. I am not sure where there would be a net export from any particular region. Some wine regions may see some benefit in it but the truth of the matter is the economic rationale for supporting Mercosur is not based on support for farmers. In fact, it is counterintuitive from an environmental perspective and also in the context of a situation where the CAP budget itself is under threat. This could be existential for the family farm model as we know it.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2025-10-14/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-21T01:01:04+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-10-14