Mayo councillors demand 'No' vote on Mercosur trade deal

THE elected members of Mayo County Council have called on all MEPs and TDs to vote against the Mercosur trade deal.

Independent Ireland Councillor Chris Maxwell tabled a motion on the matter for the monthly meeting of the council, saying the deal has the potential to decimate the Irish beef industry through cheap and inferior imports from South American countries.

The commitment to not support the deal was given in last year’s Dáil election and the European elections, and, he said: “We are now demanding for these election promises to be upheld.”

The rural economy and the future of farming families rests in the hands of bureaucrats in Brussels who don't seem to understand how decimating this deal could be to farmers, he said.

They were going next door after the meeting for a Christmas meal, with high quality, traceable food, Councillor Maxwell pointed out. But the European bureaucrats were going to let in meat and poultry with no traceability and full of hormones.

It was vitally important, he said, that this deal does not go through in its present form.

The motion was agreed, with Councillor Johnny O'Malley imploring his council colleagues to get on to the TDs and MEPs who are going to vote on this. That didn't happen for the restoration law, 'and we lost it, and it cost us a lot'.

The MEPs didn't vote against it and now they're sorry, so let them not make the same mistake, he added.

Last week meat coming into the EU had to be taken off the shelves as it was contaminated with hormones.

MEPs have to stand up and be counted, said Councillor O'Malley, as it's vitally important for Irish farmers.