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The EU\u2019s trade deal with South America countries is \u201cdisappointing\u201d and \u201cnot satisfactory\u201d for Ireland, Employment Affairs Minister Regina Doherty has told the D\u00e1il.<\/p>\nThe EU\u2019s trade deal with South America countries is \u201cdisappointing\u201d and \u201cnot satisfactory\u201d for Ireland, Employment Affairs Minister Regina Doherty has told the D\u00e1il.<\/p>\n
Ms Doherty said Ireland was not the only EU country that would feel the \u201cnegative connotations\u201d of the Mercosur deal but she said the text of the agreement was not yet complete and the details would take some time to iron out.<\/p>\n
The proposed agreement between the EU and a group of countries including Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, was reached last week after 20 years of talks.<\/p>\n
It has been heavily criticized by environmental groups and by beef farmers who believe it will lead to poorer quality beef flooding the EU market at the expense of Irish farmers.<\/p>\n
Questioned by Fianna F\u00e1il\u2019s Dara Calleary about whether the government should be endorsing the deal and pressed on whether she was standing on Agriculture Minister Michael Creed\u2019s team or whether she was standing with beef and poultry farmers, Ms Doherty said she was \u201con Team Ireland\u201d and wanted to limit any potential negative impact of the deal.<\/p>\n
The agreement, which includes a significant tariff rate quota that’ll allow beef imports from Mercosur countries, obviously is a disappointment to every one of us<\/p>\n
The Meath TD made the comments as she stood in for T\u00e1naiste Simon Coveney during Leaders\u2019 Questions on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe agreement, which includes a significant tariff rate quota that\u2019ll allow beef imports from Mercosur countries, obviously is a disappointment to every one of us,\u201d Ms Doherty said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why we\u2019ve been working for the last number of years to bring it from where it was to where it is now but I think as you can agree there\u2019s a long way to go.\u201d<\/p>\n
She added: \u201cIt is disappointing.\u201d But she said the Irish government would continue to work hard with colleagues in Europe \u201cto try to mitigate the impacts\u201d of the agreement as it currently stands.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is agreed today is not satisfactory from our perspective but also equally is not satisfactory from other people\u2019s perspectives across Europe,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Taoiseach was fairly clear yesterday and the day before that we\u2019ll work over the next couple of years with the influence we have collegiately with other countries and with our Commissioner\u2026 to make sure we reduce the impact on our beef and poultry sectors.\u201d<\/p>\n
She warned it could take \u201cat least two years\u201d if not longer to agree and align with others to ensure a level playing field across governance, across carbon production and across quality was reached.<\/p>\n
In response Fianna F\u00e1il\u2019s deputy leader said \u201ceverybody\u2019s on Team Ireland\u201d but that the government was \u201cabandoning our core agricultural industry\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cMinister (Michael) Creed is on Team Ireland but he fell asleep when he was on the pitch,\u201d Mr Calleary claimed.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs Commissioner (Phil) Hogan on Team Ireland?<\/p>\n
\u201cCommissioner Hogan is the cheerleader of this deal but I\u2019ve noticed there\u2019s more Fine Gael tanks being placed on Commissioner Hogan\u2019s lawn that we\u2019ll see in Washington later today because he\u2019s going to become your scapegoat for this.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur beef farmers, our poultry farmers and our pig farmers are on Team Ireland but they\u2019re not really feeling the team spirit at this stage because they\u2019ve been thrown to the wolves.\u201d<\/p>\n
He continued: \u201cSo many people in this country are on Team Ireland in terms of our climate and what do they see?<\/p>\n
\u201cThey see our government acquiescing to a deal that rewards climate change deniers, that rewards the destruction of rain forest, that rewards low standards.\u201d<\/p>\n