Independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice is calling for a “steady ship” as the countdown to the UK’s departure from the European Union closes in.
Speaking tonight on the season two premiere of FarmLand, the Roscommon-Galway representative warned that “scaremongering” farmers over the possibility of Irish beef being squeezed out of the UK market in favour of Brazilian-sourced produce is “unhelpful”.
“The reality is the Red Tractor has been the most successful beef product in England. The British housewife has bought into it and it’s the dearest meat you can buy.
“In fairness to Michael Gove [UK Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs] in England he has stated, very clearly, that Ireland would be tariff-free.
That’s very important and secondly of all he said that the standards would not be dropping.
“The reality is in all parts of Europe you can buy Brazilian beef this minute. But people decide and people are more educated as well on what you eat.
“There is no doubt that EU regulation is strict, our quality beef is good and Irish beef is probably the best of the lot because mostly, we are grass fed and I think that this scaremongering isn’t helpful,” said deputy Fitzmaurice.
Fitzmaurice’s view
In the line of Brexit, deputy Fitzmaurice said “we’ll have to wait and see”.
In my opinion we have to have a steady ship at the moment and for politicians not to be criticising ‘x’ ‘y’ or ‘z’.
“We need the Brits whether we like it or not. We might be fighting with them 800 years; but we need them to send our beef across, as well as other countries, so let’s not kick someone that you need,” he said.