Speeches

Mr President, reports along the corridors of this building say a trade deal with the Mercosur countries has all but been agreed by our Commission, and talk of compensation for Irish farmers and others is widespread. But I come here this evening to give you one message, and a message back to those who send those briefs. No way! No way will we accept this. A study by the Irish Government Department of Enterprise in 2021 indicated that Ireland's beef sector would lose between EUR 44 million and EUR 55 million if the EU-Mercosur deal goes ahead. We are the fifth largest beef exporter in the world and the biggest EU exporter, with more than 90 % traded internationally on an annual basis. It is not acceptable that Ireland and key other European Member States incur high environmental food-safety traceability charges, while third countries just sail in here and are simply allowed to avoid such costs and undercut our beef in prime EU markets. This Parliament has and must insist on one rule for everyone equally applied to the Mercosur countries, and until this equality rule applies, Ireland says no deal and no sell-out!

Mr President, on this day, at this hour, I'd like to ask you to join with me in remembering those who have lost their lives through suicide. I'd also like to remember their relatives and friends who are gathering, perhaps now, at a church in your community or in my community, to say goodbye to a loved one. My appeal to you today, on World Mental Health Day, is for a greater emphasis to emerge in our EU legislation and in our home states on creating greater awareness of those at risk of suicide. Applied suicide intervention skills training is an important instrument to help us identify those who are at risk. ASIST, it stands for. Two days of your life; two days' training. On the first day, you will be helped to identify symptoms of people who are at risk. Have they given away personal belongings? Asked you to mind their dog, perhaps? Has it ever happened before? It could be a warning sign. The second day, an opportunity to assist you to put that person in a safe place. I ask you to support ASIST, take part in ASIST and help to save lives.

Madam President, never before has it been more important to protect the freedom of the press, at a time when disinformation is rampant. The time is now to call out fake news. And it is also time to stand up for independent journalism and journalism in the field. Tonight I speak to you about somebody who not only stood up for it, but lost their life in the field in independent journalism: Ryan Evans, from Wrexham, the son of an Irish woman, was working in Ukraine with Reuters news agency, when the hotel in which he was staying was hit by a Russian strike. He was 38 years old when he died, leaving his wife Kerry, and four children, his parents, Geraldine and Dave, and a wide circle of family and friends. Independent journalism beats fake news. Independent journalism in the field must continue. We must support public broadcasting. We must not forget what happened to Ryan. We must remember Ryan and his family, especially next Friday, when they say goodbye to him for the final time.

Mr President, in less than 18 months' time, farmers of Ireland will face a major decision and look to this city for crucial decision on the future of their industry. That would be whether or not they will continue to avail of the nitrates derogation. I've been asked to come to this House today to ask our MEPs to speak to their Member State ministers and their governments and impress upon them our case for retaining the nitrates derogation. Ireland has a unique ability to grow lush green grass, which has the largest impact on our environment. Grass is the most natural and environmentally friendly source of feedstuffs. In Ireland, we have adopted new methods to reduce the environmental impact, where we brought in a subsidised national liming programme, we have a low-emission slurry-spreading equipment system, there's been a reduction in crude protein in animal feed and, of course, environmental training and improving environmental farm biodiversity, with new hedgerows retaining native trees. We are doing our best, and based on the above, we're confident that the scientific evidence will clearly show that Ireland should – and must – retain our competitive advantage of growing grass with the retention of the nitrates derogation. As I say, it will be in this city. Our Council of Ministers and the Commission will decide this issue. I appeal to MEPs to bring the message back that Ireland has a very special case to retain its derogation.

Mr President, Commissioner McGuinness, colleagues, I believe this debate is about the future of farming in our continent. I believe it's about the future of young farmers and the future of people with small holdings. I speak to you today on behalf of 137 000 family farms in Ireland, in the most peripheral part of our region, half of them in my constituency in the Midlands and the west, and people who are looking to this report, this dialogue, with hope, so I will be positive today. We hope that things will emerge from this dialogue, that there will be a secure negotiation of funding for CAP, proper funding in the future, and with inflationary measures built in. We hope for assistance in a new environmental scheme to support those in farming. We hope for clear targets in this plan. If it is 100 days, let us see targets. Let us see targets met by the President and by the Commission. We would also like to see the the loss of red tape. We have been promised that red tape will disappear for smallholdings in particular, farmers who are threatened with continuous red tape and costs. And we would like to see the restoration of confidence in farming, not just in Ireland but around the world. We'd also like to see the protection of the beef sector, with particular focus on our Irish suckler herd, now threatened. We need to see urgent action. Ladies and gentlemen, we believe the success or failure of this plan will determine the future of many family farms, not just in Ireland, but throughout the European Union.