I welcome the fact that the Irish Government has, on behalf of its people, voted against the Mercosur trade deal. This deal will open the floodgates to Brazilian beef produced to standards far below what we demand here and contaminated with banned growth hormones and antibiotics, as exposed by the Irish Farmers Journal. Our farmers, who uphold the highest food safety and animal welfare standards, will face devastating losses in the beef and poultry sectors. Rural Ireland cannot be sacrificed for cheap imports that undermine public health and destroy livelihoods. The Government needs to keep sending a clear message that we stand with Irish farmers and for quality.

In the next few weeks, each MEP in Europe will have a vote for or against the Mercosur deal. Our Independent Ireland MEP, Ciaran Mullooly, has been in Brussels since Sunday lobbying fellow MEPs from Italy and other countries to vote "No". It is alarming that three MEPs out of 14 in Ireland are saying they are going to vote in favour of the Mercosur deal. Can the Taoiseach tell me today that the Government will apply the whip to MEPs Barry Andrews, Seán Kelly and Regina Doherty to have them vote against the Mercosur deal in the same way that it has?

The Government took its decision last week notwithstanding that significant improvements and safeguards were achieved. Quite a number of MEPs, including Barry Cowen, Billy Kelleher and Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, worked effectively and all tabled amendments that were accepted. That was important in making sure the strongest possible safeguards, including market safeguards, would be in place. Now the threshold has gone from 10% down to 5%, which is a pretty significant improvement regarding any disruption to the market here. Also, in terms of production standards, the EU sanitary and phytosanitary, SPS, safeguards already in place are non-negotiable to protect human, animal and plant health.

They are among the highest in the world, and they are non-negotiable. The Commission, as part of the safeguards, has already said it will include a 50% increase in the number of audits carried out on all non-EU countries over the next two years, a 33% increase in audits of the EU border control posts and closer monitoring of non-compliant commodities and countries.

Thank you, Taoiseach. I call Deputy Shane Moynihan.

I asked about the whip on the three MEPs.

I did not have enough time to come back on that.