The Mercosur trade agreement will be a disaster for Irish farmers, consumers and our environment. Last week, Sinn Féin tabled a Dáil motion calling on the Government to oppose the deal and TDs from across the political divide, including many of the Taoiseach's backbench Deputies, spoke strongly against the deal. However, the Minister, Deputy Heydon, refuses to state whether the Government will oppose the deal or seek to form a blocking minority to the deal. He stated that no other EU state is considering this approach. That is not true. We know that France, Poland and Austria are weighing up such a move. This is an opportunity to defend Irish farmers, protect Irish agriculture and stop this ruinous deal in its tracks. Will the Taoiseach now commit the Government to voting against the Mercosur deal at the European Council meeting in December and will he seek to form a blocking minority with like-minded EU member states?

We committed in the programme for Government to work with like-minded states, particularly France, Poland and Italy, in respect of the Mercosur deal. Additional safeguards which resulted from that endeavour are now, hopefully, being translated into a legal instrument. Of course, we still have concerns with the Mercosur deal. There are many issues on the agricultural portfolio that I am dealing with. The Minister, Deputy Heydon, is dealing with the Commission on the nitrates directive, Mercosur, the financial framework for farmers-----

I asked about Mercosur.

The draft multi-annual financial framework only gives farmers about 80% of what we got on the last occasion. That is a big issue we have to negotiate down the line with the Commission as well. On the blocking majority, all countries are engaging with the Commission, including those countries the Deputy mentioned, in respect of Mercosur. It is not as clear as Deputy McDonald suggested.

Is that a yes or no?