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<\/a><\/p>\nFine Gael Deputy for Carlow and Kilkenny Catherine Callaghan shares her view;<\/p>\n
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Farming Reaction<\/p>\n
Graignamanagh based Paul O\u2019Brien is south Leinster Regional Chair of the Irish Farmers Association has been reacting on The KCLR Daily;<\/p>\n
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Added to that President of ICMSA, Kilkenny man Denis Drennan, says;\u00a0\u201cThe Government left it very late, but has come down on the right side of what is a head-to-head between fundamental principles of fairness and consistency and the kind of slippery expediency that seems to be the dominant approach in far too many situations now. ICMSA and Irish farmers in general have never been against fair trade; the point is that \u2013 as regards food and particularly beef \u2013 the agreement with the Mercosur was not and could not be fair. We have no way of ensuring that the beef that would be imported into the EU under the agreement would be of the same standards of traceability and environmentally sustainable production that the EU insists upon for its own farmers. And we know from long experience that the authorities in Mercosur countries are unable or unwilling to enforce even their existing standards and regulations. That leaves us with the EU forcing its own farmers to compete against cheaper substandard beef produced off an environmentally destructive system that is the direct opposite of the farming system that has been painstakingly introduced onto EU farms over the last 20 years. That was a hypocrisy too far and ICMSA welcomes the Irish Government\u2019s belated recognition of that fact\u201d.<\/p>\n
In the event of the deal being voted through by other Member States tomorrow, Mr Drennan said the focus must switch to the EU Parliament and Ireland should work with MEPS from other Member States who share our commitment to basic fairness and consistency to block the deal.<\/p>\n
In Addition \u2026<\/p>\n
If you missed our coverage on the topic yesterday, see here<\/a>.<\/p>\n