Beef Sector
Dail Éireann — 2026-05-19
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Natasha Newsome Drennan (SF), Carlow-Kilkenny

I believe I speak for many across Ireland when I say how welcome the European Commission's decision to ban Brazilian beef and other food products is. This is a welcome step. It vindicates the serious concerns we in Sinn Féin have raised along with countless others like the IFA, the Irish Farmers' Journal , the ICMSA, the ICSA and many more regarding public health risks posed by Brazilian beef. However, it is deeply disappointing that when I and other Members of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture and Food raised these concerns directly with the Commission, we were flatly ignored. When I raised with the Minister the shocking low levels of testing at 1.7% on Brazilian beef coming into Ireland, my concerns over inadequate testing were dismissed. Let me be clear. If a farm in Kilkenny were found to be using banned antibiotics in its herd, the entire herd would be sealed off and put down due to the risk to public health. However, when Brazilian farms are clearly shown to be using banned drugs they are allowed to continue business as usual for another three months. How is this double standard acceptable? Antimicrobial resistance is projected to directly cause over 1.2 million deaths in 2026, with studies suggesting it contributes to nearly 5 million deaths annually. AMR infections are increasing by up to 15% yearly. The World Health Organization, WHO, classifies antimicrobial resistance as one of the top global public health threats. How can the Minister of State and the Government stand over the sale of Brazilian beef for three more months knowing it poses a risk to public health?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-05-19/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-28T05:50:46+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-05-19