"We all know what Brazilian beef is full of!" - Longford Cllr Gerry Hagan

A December meeting of Longford County Council saw a show of support for a motion submitted by Independent Councillor Mark Casey in which he proposed writing to all TDs and MEPs to outline Longford’s opposition to the Mercosur trade deal and to call on them to vote against it. 

The deal sparked major controversy amid fears that the Irish market would be flooded with South American beef that was not produced to the same standards as those to which Irish farmers are held. 

Concerns have long been voiced by public representatives. particularly with regard to the safety of the food in question and the potential health risks posed to the public. Speaking at a recent meeting of Longford County Council, Cllr Casey said, “This deal has the potential to decimate the Irish beef industry through cheap and inferior imports from South American countries. 

“The commitment to not support this deal was given in last year’s Dáil and European elections by all political parties. 

“Now it would seem that some of these political parties have gone back on their word, not surprisingly. The independents who said they were against it, are still remaining against it.

“I call on this council to write to our local TDs and MEPs to say that Longford is completely against it. This is not a good deal for Ireland. It will flood Ireland with cheap, poor quality food and we don’t know what the side effects of this food will be on people.”

Cllr Paul Ross threw his support behind Cllr Casey’s motion, citing a recently published   investigation which highlighted the issue of food security around Brazilian beef imports  that were shown to contain antibiotics banned in Ireland. Cllr Ross said food security is “a major issue” under Mercosur.

Voicing his anger about the matter, and specifically the lack of traceability, Cllr Gerry Hagan said, “We currently see Irish beef and cattle prices at an all time high, never before have we seen that. 

“If this deal were to go through, beef prices would nose dive overnight, and to echo the same sentiment of what Cllr Ross said, we all know what Brazilian beef is full of. It’s full of drugs.

“There is no traceability with Brazilian beef, absolutely none, whereas we in Ireland can trace every steak back to where it came from until it arrives on your plate.”

Cllr Martin Skelly, in supporting the motion, added that it was his understanding from a recent conversation with a minister that “there is absolutely no support for it amongst our TDs or MEPs.” 

He added, “We have worked for too long to upgrade our own standards. To allow anything else would be a retrograde step for this country and the agricultural community.”  

Cllr Seamus Butler, a supporter of international trade, said he also did not agree with the Mercosur deal, describing it as “unfair trading.” 

He told the council, “It's absolutely a no brainer. I’ve been in Brazil, I ate steaks and I didn’t die but it’s not as good as the steaks you get here. This is a step too far. I’m into international trade but not at the expense of our producers. This is unfair trading.”

Funded by Local Democracy Reporting Scheme

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