Victor Boyhan Demands Clarity on Nitrates, Mercosur and Arts Funding
Victor Boyhan addressed concerns about an arts complex in Dublin, the Nitrates Directive for Ireland, and Mercosur's impact on the beef sector, calling for clarity and government action. He relayed a request from the complex's director to engage the Minister for Finance, supported calls for full transparency on the Nitrates Directive, and warned that Mercosur poses risks to Irish agriculture.
Arts complex request
He shared Senator Fitzpatrick's concerns about the Dublin arts complex and relayed a call from the complex's Director, Vanessa Fielding. Fielding's key message, he said, was directed not to the Minister of the Arts or Heritage but to the Minister for Finance, and he asked that the request be conveyed to the relevant minister.
Nitrates Directive concerns
He concurred with Senator Daley's remarks and urged a greater understanding of what has been agreed under the special Nitrates Directive for Ireland. Boyhan warned there are suggestions of possible litigation over the agreement and said parliamentarians need to be fully equipped to understand the specific terms signed up to.
Mercosur and agricultural controls
He congratulated the IFA and the Farmers' Journal for their collaborative reporting on Mercosur and raised specific concerns about Brazilian controls. Boyhan said there is no evidence in practice of effective controls of medicines used in farm animals, no national cattle traceability system in Brazil, and no credible means to certify beef entering the European market, noting recalls of Brazilian beef across Europe including the UK and Northern Ireland.
Calls for debate and government clarity
He described Mercosur as a challenge and a threat to Irish sustainable agriculture and the meat industry and called for a debate on the issue. The key ask he brought back from the Joint Therapeutics Committee on Agricultural Food was clear - he sought clarity and certainty on what the Irish government is doing and whether it will support the IFA, other farm organisations and the beef sector in relation to Mercosur.
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Thank you, Cahillac. Leader, three things. Just quickly, the complex that Senator Fitzpatrick talked about, I share her concerns. Indeed, I had a number of calls, and one was from the Director there, Vanessa Fielding, that she referred to herself here. And actually, her key message was, not the Minister of the Arts or Heritage, but actually the Minister for Finance. So I want to just pass that on. That wasn't suggested earlier on, but actually that's who they want to speak to. That's who they want to see in relation to the arts complex in Dublin. So I'll just leave that as a request, if that could be conveyed, if relevant. But I think it's important that I make that ask for her, because I know she's listening in this morning. Secondly, I'd like to concur with Senator Daley in relation to his comments and suggestions in relation to the Nitrates Directive. I think it's important that we have a greater understanding of what's been agreed. And there's already suggestions, or in the ether in the air this morning, that there may be litigation against this agreement. So we, as parliamentarians in these houses, need to fully understand what's been signed up to, what has actually been agreed, what are the specific terms in relation to the special Nitrates Directive for Ireland. And I'd like to know more about it. I think everyone else in this House would like to know more about it. And we need to be equipped to fully understand it. But I concur with the comments from Senator Daley in relation to the matter. And finally, just in relation to the IFA and the Farmers' Journal, who did a very extensive piece of work and collaboration in relation to Mercosur, I congratulate them, and I know a number of colleagues here were with them yesterday, as I was, in the Committee on Agriculture. But, you know, there are serious issues of no evidence in practice of effective controls of medicines used in farm animals, no national traceability system for cattle in Brazil, no credible means to certify beef coming there into the European market. And we know there has been recall of Brazilian beef right across Europe, in the UK, in Northern Ireland. It is a challenge. It is a threat to Irish sustainable agriculture and the meat industry. And I think we should have a debate on it. But I leave you with this. The key ask that I took away from the Joint Therapeutics Committee on Agricultural Food yesterday is, what is the Irish government doing? And we need clarity and we need certainty as to the Irish government's decision to support the IFA and other farm organisations and the beef sector in relation to Mercosur. Thank you.
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