I commend all the farmers who turned up in Athlone last weekend. I also commend the members of the public not involved in farming who turned up to support them. They are just as concerned - entirely rightly concerned - about what the Mercosur deal will mean for them as consumers. They are asking a simple and reasonable question: how will they know where the food they put on their table comes from, what it contains and if it meets the same standards as Irish produce? That concern and lack of confidence was compounded by the shameful conduct of the Government, which, at the eleventh hour, sought to position itself in opposition to the Mercosur deal. That last-minute grandstanding amounted to nothing more than thumbing its nose at Irish farmers who had been warning about the damage of this deal for years. Food imported from Mercosur countries must be clearly and prominently labelled as such. It cannot be buried in fine print or disguised by clever marketing to mislead consumers. Inferior Mercosur food cannot continue to be hidden behind Irish-sounding brand names, images of green fields or packaging that implies local origin when, in fact, it has travelled thousands of kilometres. That is misleading, unethical and deeply unfair to consumers who want transparency and to farmers who are consistently held to the highest standards. Existing EU food labelling law is clear in its intent. Consumers must not be misled. The information must be accurate, clear and easy to understand. Those principles must be robustly enforced and strengthened. Does the Minister of State support imported Mercosur food being prominently labelled as such? Ireland should lead from the front on clean, transparent food standards. Consumers do not want vague reassurances or last-minute theatrics. They want real action that protects them and their families and supports Irish producers. They deserve that, not more spin from the Irish Government.

Sentiment score: 0.12

The Minister of State has had his opportunity.

Sentiment score: 0.42

The division on Aontú's amendment to the Minister of State's amendment is postponed until the weekly division time tomorrow evening.

Sentiment score: -0.20