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2019 Mercosur Trade Bloc Taoiseach Insists That There Will Be No IRISH

3rd, The Renegotiation Of Brexit Agreement
Taoiseach
July ‘Death Knell’ For Leo Varadkar has said EXAMINER

| whoever becomes
the UK’s next prime
EXAMINER Irish Beef Sector minister will get a |
“fair hearing” from
the EU, but warned
July
“we mean what we
IRISH say” about not re- 3rd,
opening negotiations
on the Withdrawal
2019
Agreement.
Mr Varadkar spoke alongside the UK’s Minister for the
Cabinet Office, David Lidington and Scotland’s First Minister
Nicola Sturgeon at the end of a British-Irish Council summit
meeting in Manchester, England.
Mr Varadkar said it would “not be helpful” for him to com-
ment on the Tory leadership race.
He added: “At the same time, it needs to be understood that
we also mean what we say.
“That is the Withdrawal Agreement won’t be re-opened,
without a Backstop there will be no transition period or imple-
mentation phase, but that we are willing to examine the joint
political declaration and make amendments to that if that
he trade deal between the these (Irish) farms who are defend the indefensible”. enables us to proceed to an orderly Brexit with a guarantee there
European Union and South among the most efficient in the She said: “It can be best sum- will be no hard border between north and south which is our
TAmerica’s Mercosur trade world.” marized as a sell out of Irish shared objective.”
blocsignalsthe“deathknell”forthe Government, Climate farmers and of their families Mr Lidington said both Tory-leadership contenders, Boris
Irish beef sector, it has been Change Minister Richard and of rural Ireland. Johnson and Jeremy Hunt, have said they do not want a no-deal
claimed. Bruton said there are “gains” in “It’s beggars belief that at a Brexit, and it is important to “take their word on that”.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheal the agreement. time when this Dail has stated a He also said it was “very clear” tariffs and checks would be
Martin said the trade deal has He added: “It underlines the climate emergency from a gov- applied to UK trade, “on day one” of a “no-deal crash out”.
angered the farming communi- importance for small open ernment that has encouraged But he said there will be a “window” when EU leaders will
ty in Ireland who face increas- economies like our own to people not to eat beef unless, it want to hear what Theresa May’s successor has to say, and the
ing pressure from Brexit and cli- have access to markets, particu- seems, it’s Brazilian, it seems Government’s position was still to leave with a deal.
mate change issues. larly growth markets, where astonishing you would be pre- But Nicola Sturgeon said there was now a “real danger” of a
The Mercosur bloc and the we can look to the future to pared to sign up to a deal with no-deal “crash out” becoming “inevitable” – and it was “futile”
EU agreed on a free-trade deal build opportunities. Brazil whose president has to waste time trying to re-negotiate.
after two decades of negotia- “Contrary to what Deputy committed to destroying the She said: “I think there’s a real danger right now, the position-
tions that concluded amid glob- Martin is suggesting, this Amazon and the indigenous ing of the contenders for leadership of Tory Party starts to make
al trade tensions. requires parties to subscribe to communities in order to no deal inevitable.
The proposed deal will allow the Paris Agreement, it also increase the profits of a few “I think there’s an alternative to no deal, which is no Brexit
imports of 99,000 tonnes of includes specific issues around small millionaire beef through a second referendum, but there’s a danger we end up
beef, 180,000 tonnes of poultry sustainability within these exporters.” on a path to no deal that’s very difficult to stop and that is of sig-
and 25,000 tonnes of pig meat. countries so there is significant Mr Healy-Rae said: “What is nificant concern.
Mr Martin told the Dail that elements of environment pro- being proposed does not make “I do think a responsible government and responsible prime
farming organisations have tection and in respect of labor sense. minister would make clear that avoiding no deal is an absolute
described the deal as “reckless” law and international agree- “We here in Ireland are priority, and would not allow UK to crash out of the EU with no
and “wrong”. ments.” being told to cut our stock of deal.
“In many ways this trade Mr Martin accused the animals and plant trees. “What I think we should all seek to avoid is further time
agreement is outdated in that it Brazilian president Jair “At the same time the being wasted in this process with a futile attempt to re-open and
ignores the impact of Brexit Bolsonaro of favoring develop- Mercosur deal is being done re-negotiate the Withdrawal Agreement, when the European
both now and into the future,” ment of conservation adding with countries that do not have Union has, and I work on David’s comment that he takes them
he added. that a hector of land is being the same level of tractability or at their word, because I think it’s very dangerous to continue to
“It potentially signals the cleared “every minute” to cre- production standards and they waste time assuming something can be achieved that the
death knell of a sector that has ate new pastures for cattle. are felling thousands of acres of European Union has made very clear, can’t be achieved.”
suffered unduly in recent times. “This is the uncomfortable rain forest to raise the beef they Both Ms Sturgeon and Mr Varadkar said economic assess-
“Above all it’s outdated in truth,” Mr Martin added. want to trade into our ments forecast rising unemployment and negative conse-
terms of the climate change “Don’t tell me they are com- economies. quences for growth and government budgets in Ireland and
Scotland if the UK leaves without a deal.
issue and it’s beggars belief that mitted and pledged to the Paris “It’s crazy what is being pro- The Taoiseach added: “No one is really going to know for
this trade agreement has been Agreement, that means nothing posed.” sure what the extent of harm will be or how it will play out.”
signed given the change of to these political leaders.” Mr Bruton added: “If we Both were asked if Brexit could be stopped during a press
mindset around climate Mr Bruton accused Mr want to tackle climate change, conference at the end of the summit.
change. Martin of “distorting reality”. it’s not by isolating govern- Mr Varadkar said: “Well whether Brexit is stopped or not
“The government seems to The government also faced ments that we feel are not isn’t my business, that’s a decision for Parliament and the people
be quietly acquiescing to this pressure from Sinn Féin leader doing their bit, it’s by putting of the United Kingdom.
trade deal. Mary Lou McDonald and more pressure on them to com-
“The response of the gov- Independent TD Michael ply and this is an agreement “But I think no deal can be stopped and there’s lots of ways
ernment is to reward climate Healy-Rae. that will put pressure on these that can be done through revocation of Article 50, Parliament
change deniers and people who Ms McDonald accused Mr countries to comply with their deciding that Parliament thinks there should be a second refer-
pay no heed to it and hurting Bruton of “attempting to obligations.” C endum, or by ratifying the Withdrawal Agreement.” C