The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) has welcomed confirmation from the government that Ireland will vote against the EU-Mercosur trade deal.

Tánaiste Simon Harris has confirmed that Ireland will vote against the controversial agreement in a key vote on Friday (January 9).

"The government's position on Mercosur has always been clear: we did not support the deal in the form in which it was presented," the Tánaiste and Fine Gael leader said.

ICMSA

ICMSA president Denis Drennan, said that the government’s decision to vote against the deal was the right decision on both economic and environmental grounds.

“The government left it very late, but has come down on the right side of what is a head-to-head between fundamental principles of fairness and consistency and the kind of slippery expediency that seems to be the dominant approach in far too many situations now.

"ICMSA and Irish farmers in general have never been against fair trade; the point is that – as regards food and particularly beef – the agreement with the Mercosur was not and could not be fair.

"We know from long experience that the authorities in Mercosur countries are unable or unwilling to enforce even their existing standards and regulations," he said.

Mercosur

The ICMSA president said the deal will see the "EU forcing its own farmers to compete against cheaper substandard beef produced".

"That was a hypocrisy too far and ICMSA welcomes the Irish Government’s belated recognition of that fact," he said.

Drennan said that in the event of the deal being voted through by other EU member states tomorrow, the focus must switch to the European Parliament.

"Ireland should work with MEPS from other member states who share our commitment to basic fairness and consistency to block the deal," he said.