The government decision to vote against the Mercosur trade deal is too little too late, according to Social Democrats environment spokesperson Jennifer Whitmore.
Deputy Whitmore said:
“The government spent the entire year failing to build alliances with like‑minded EU countries in opposition to Mercour, which it explicitly committed to in the Programme for Government.
“The coalition sat on its hands as France, Poland, Austria, the Netherlands and others publicly expressed deep reservations about the deal.
“Irish farmers raised alarm after alarm as the government wasted valuable time, only deciding to oppose the agreement once it became politically unviable to do so.
“Irish beef and poultry producers operate under some of the strictest environmental and animal‑welfare standards in the world, while Mercosur imports come from systems where pesticides, hormones, antibiotics and labour standards simply do not compare.
“While the government paid lip service to farmers’ tangible and documented concerns about this deal – from undercutting to carbon leakage to an explicit race to the bottom in production standards – they wasted valuable time by not formally opposing the Mercosur Free Trade Agreement months ago.
“The Commission’s push to force through ratification underscores how essential it was for national governments like Ireland’s to coordinate opposition earlier – instead, the government went missing in action during the critical window where alliances could have been locked in.
“I welcome the government’s decision to vote against the Mercosur deal, but this comes too late, after a year of drift, delay and mixed signals.
“Throughout this process, farmers deserved certainty but only got confusion and political hedging until the very last moment.
“It is now essential that all of our MEPs stand with Irish farmers and publicly commit to voting against Mercosur.”
Senator Patricia Stephenson said:
“Our trade deals should not be at the cost of our indigenous agriculture – while the government’s stance is welcome, we must oppose future deals like these with more vigour.
“Rural communities, farmers and businesses must not be forgotten when deals like these are being considered.”
January 9th, 2026