The Government will vote against the controversial Mercosur trade deal, the Taoiseach and Tánaiste have said this afternoon.
Speaking to reporters in Shanghai, where he is on an official visit to China, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, said Ireland will vote no.
“We have to be confident that the standards that we have set now and the obligations based on Irish and European farmers are not undermined by food production systems that are not as carbon efficient and that are not don’t have the same stringent standards,” he said.
“So in the round, acknowledging that progress has been made in terms of the safeguards, both the market safeguards and the pesticide issue.”
“But in terms of that basic issue around the obligations and standards for Irish farmers, our sense is that we don’t have confidence that they won’t be undercut. So the Government will be voting no.”
“The Government’s position on Mercosur has always been clear: we did not support the deal in the form in which it was presented,” he said.
As uncertainty swirled this week regarding how Ireland will vote when it comes to the crunch, the president of the Irish Farmers Association urged continued opposition, as outlined in the programme for Government. This week, the Taoiseach had left room for the possibility that the Government would support the deal, declining to explicitly say Ireland would vote against the deal.
It came amid reports that Italy plans to back the deal, after the EU suggested it would give member states early access to some agriculture funds from the 2028-2034 EU budget. Mr Martin had said that the “improvement” in terms of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was to be welcomed.
The IFA, however, dismissed the proposal as a “ploy” by the Commission to get Member States on board for the Mercosur trade deal “by making a convoluted proposal on CAP funding” as it urged the Government to stay faithful to its promises.
“This deal is bad for Irish farmers and very damaging for public health, based on the findings of the IFA/Farmers Journal investigation two months ago and the recent Brazilian beef recall due to the presence of hormones. The Government cannot countenance any position that would offer any sign of support for this deal,” said IFA President Francie O’Gorman.
Ahead of a large-scale farmers protest planned for Athlone on Saturday, Independent Ireland welcomed the announcement from the Taoiseach.
The party said it was “proof” that “public pressure, farmer mobilisation and community action on the ground works.” It however stressed that the deal has not yet been voted on and that nothing is final until MEPs vote in Strasbourg, with the vote to happen tomorrow.
Independent Ireland MEP Ciaran Mullooly said the announcement “shows the power of collective action” but said farmers and rural communities need to keep the pressure on if the deal is to be opposed.
“This announcement proves one thing beyond doubt — people power works and pressure works,” Mullooly said.
“But let me be very clear: this deal is not dead. It has not been voted on. Nothing is done until MEPs vote in Strasbourg. That is why it is vital that farmers and communities show their strength again this Saturday.”