Michael Collins TD, Leader of Independent Ireland, has today called on the European Union to “get its act together” and urgently conclude a trade agreement with the United States, warning that delays are putting Irish exports — including iconic brands like Kerrygold — and thousands of jobs at serious risk.
“It seems as though they are asleep at the wheel,” Deputy Collins said. “The EU’s needs to get its act together, the sluggish handling of these negotiations is placing Irish industry in the firing line. From Kerrygold butter and premium dairy exports, to tech, medical devices, and agri-food products, we rely on strong transatlantic trade. The clock is ticking, and Brussels needs to wake up before lasting damage is done.”
The Cork South-West TD said Irish producers, particularly those rooted in rural communities, would be among the first to feel the fallout of a failure to strike a deal with the US.
“Irish exports depend on access to the American market. Products like Kerrygold have built a global reputation, but that can be quickly undermined by tariffs, trade barriers or regulatory uncertainty.”
Collins welcomed recent comments by Finance Minister Michael McGrath, but said the Government must go further.
“We need more than polite encouragement — we need pressure. It’s time for the Taoiseach to use what influence they have. Brussels must hear loud and clear that Irish workers and producers cannot be collateral damage in slow-moving EU bureaucracy.”
Collins warned that Ireland must not be “left standing at the dock” while other countries press ahead. “When we see the UK and China come to agreements with the Trump administration it shows that a deal can be done if there is the will to do it. Our message to the EU is quite simple – let’s get on it with and get it done,” he said.
EU leaders expressed hopes that a quick deal could be negotiated to resolve the trade war with the US after President Donald Trump delayed threatened 50% tariffs for the bloc from 1 June until 9 July.
A spokesperson for Ursula von der Leyen said this week that the EU Commission President and Trump had agreed “to fast-track the trade negotiations and to stay in close contact”, with Von der Leyen initiating the call on the understanding that “there was, it seems, a mutual intention to speak to each other”.