The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA) is giving its full support to the protest taking place in Athlone this Saturday against the Mercosur trade deal.

Association president Sean McNamara said that it is about unity and it's about farmers from all sectors, as well as everyone who cares about fair trade, food safety and rural Ireland.

“[The] ICSA has been at the forefront of opposing Mercosur since we first highlighted the dangers of the deal by protesting outside the Dáil back in 2016.

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"We saw the threat clearly then and nothing that has happened since has eased our concerns. If anything, the danger to Irish farmers and consumers has only grown," McNamara said.

Double standards

The Mercosur deal, he added, is built on blatant double standards that no one should be expected to accept.

“Irish farmers are swamped with rules, inspections and huge costs to produce food to EU standards, yet the [European] Commission is prepared to allow in beef and poultry produced in ways that would be illegal here.

"On top of that, Irish farmers are continuously lectured on environmental responsibility and expected to carry the bulk of the work on climate action, while these imports will continue to be produced at the expense of South American rainforests," McNamara said.

'Staggering'

That, he added, is the reality of this deal, describing the level of hypocrisy as "staggering".

McNamara said it is vital that the Irish Government stands firm and works with other countries to ensure a blocking minority.

“Ireland cannot stop this deal on its own, but it can and must play a leading role in galvanising the opposition that already exists. This is not just a farming issue, it is also a public health issue because of the unregulated use of hormones and antibiotics in Mercosur countries,” he said.

McNamara said that Saturday’s protest is about drawing a line in the sand. Irish farmers, he added, have done everything that has been asked of them.

"We will not stand by while our livelihoods are undermined and our standards are devalued. I would urge anyone who cares about Irish farming and the food they eat to come out on Saturday and make their voice heard.”

McNamara also confirmed that he has accepted an invitation to speak at Saturday’s event.