The Tánaiste will be aware that in my constituency of Wicklow and Wexford there is a very proud and vibrant agriculture sector. There is huge concern on the ground in relation to Mercosur. We read recently that the Irish Farmers' Journal sent a delegation out and they found they could access antibiotics without any checks or documentation. We also heard over the past couple of days that a batch of meat was taken off the shelves in Europe because it was full of hormones. These hormones have been banned in the EU for the past 30 years. I am all for free trade. We continue to be told that these checks are being done at the EU level but if this does not set off alarm bells, then nothing will. We have a proud history in Ireland of top-quality meats, and by word "meats" I mean white meat and red meat. However, if we get a tsunami of meat that is not up to the standard that is required, it will have a detrimental effect on the agriculture sector and on the health of our nation. I ask the Tánaiste to reassure us that he is stronger, if anything, on our programme for Government.

I thank Deputy Brennan for raising this issue on behalf of farmers in Wicklow and Wexford. I know the Minister for agriculture, Deputy Martin Heydon, is working very hard in relation to this issue. In fact, he is working very hard on a number of issues, be it the nitrates derogation, Mercosur, and getting a properly adequately resourced CAP with less bureaucracy that works for farmers in the new multi-annual financial framework. I support him in all of that work too.

Deputy Brennan is right to highlight this issue. The EU does have very stringent standards, which we know as the sanitary and phytosanitary standards, SPS. They are there to protect everyone - to protect human health, animal health and plant health. The standards are among the highest in the world and they are non-negotiable. They have to apply equally to food produced in EU member states and they have to apply also to food that comes in from other countries. Ireland continues to engage through the Minister, Deputy Heydon, and others in relation to all of these issues, and also in ascertaining if the blocking minority in relation to Mercosur is still in place. The Minister, with the full support of the Government, is very actively involved in all of these issues. I thank the Deputy for raising it.