Mercosur vote postponement welcome but Taoiseach's comments need clarification

IFA president Francie Gorman has called for clarification on the Taoiseach's comments regarding the securing of a derogation extension as a factor going into the Mercosur vote

IFA president Francie Gorman has asked for clarification from Taoiseach Micheál Martin following the announcement of the delayed Mercosur deal vote.

Following the announcement of the Mercosur vote being postponed, Taoiseach Micheál Martin is being asked to clarify his comments regarding the reason for the delay.

Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) president, Francie Gorman, welcomed the postponement but wants clarity on the Taoiseach’s comments, where he indicated that the government would have to factor in the recent securing of a nitrates derogation extension.

Mr Gorman said the derogation extension and Mercosur deal are two separate issues and the Taoiseach’s comments suggesting the government will need to factor in the derogation extension for the now delayed vote is totally unacceptable.

“These are two separate and distinct issues. For the Taoiseach to appear to link them is utterly unacceptable. There is a clear commitment to both issues in the Programme for Government,” he said.

“The Taoiseach must now clarify if he has done some backroom deal with Ursula von der Leyen to back Mercosur and to sell out Ireland’s beef and poultry farmers.” 

The IFA president held discussions in Brussels yesterday with the EU Commission, including Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen and Commissioner for Trade Maros Sefcovic, after the protest. 

I attended as vice president of COPA and re-stated the total opposition of Irish farmers to the Mercosur deal.

Mr Gorman pushed back on the Taoiseach’s mentions of the Mercosur safeguards, saying he was "misguided".

“These proposed tweaks to the misleadingly-named ‘safeguard’ clause are purely cosmetic. The Taoiseach seems to be trying to use these tweaks as a fig leaf to get him out of the commitment made in the Programme for Government,” he said.

Concluding, Mr Gorman said: “The postponement of the Mercosur vote at the EU Council overnight shows that the proponents of the deal are on the run. Now is the time for the Taoiseach to reaffirm the commitment in the PfG and to work with like-minded Member States to see it off.”