I believe I speak for many across Ireland when I say how welcome the European Commission's decision to ban Brazilian beef and other food products is. This is a welcome step. It vindicates the serious concerns we in Sinn Féin have raised along with countless others like the IFA, the Irish Farmers' Journal, the ICMSA, the ICSA and many more regarding public health risks posed by Brazilian beef. However, it is deeply disappointing that when I and other Members of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture and Food raised these concerns directly with the Commission, we were flatly ignored. When I raised with the Minister the shocking low levels of testing at 1.7% on Brazilian beef coming into Ireland, my concerns over inadequate testing were dismissed. Let me be clear. If a farm in Kilkenny were found to be using banned antibiotics in its herd, the entire herd would be sealed off and put down due to the risk to public health. However, when Brazilian farms are clearly shown to be using banned drugs they are allowed to continue business as usual for another three months. How is this double standard acceptable? Antimicrobial resistance is projected to directly cause over 1.2 million deaths in 2026, with studies suggesting it contributes to nearly 5 million deaths annually. AMR infections are increasing by up to 15% yearly. The World Health Organization, WHO, classifies antimicrobial resistance as one of the top global public health threats. How can the Minister of State and the Government stand over the sale of Brazilian beef for three more months knowing it poses a risk to public health?

Sentiment score: -0.10

I understand the Commission has said the three month delay is to give Brazilian farmers an opportunity to get their house in order. I do not know if the Minister saw the joint report by the IFA and the Irish Farmers' Journal on how brazen and widespread drugs are in Brazilian beef farming. For someone like me from a farming background it is shocking. How the Commission could think the use of banned drugs could be brought under control in a matter of months is beyond me. Once these drugs have been injected into a herd that is it. They are not simply going to fade out of the animals' system. The damage is done and let us not forget that there is no proper tagging or traceability of the herds. I hope we do not see the Commission trying to row back on this decision. It has taken Irish and EU farming decades to reach the standards we have today. Three months will not cut it for Brazil.

Sentiment score: -0.03

That is not going to happen.

Sentiment score: 0.00