Ann Graves
Dublin Fingal East · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“These costs, details of which were provided by the Irish League of Credit Unions and Zurich, are forcing many parents into debt. Added to them are growing digital costs. According to Barnardos, the average cost of digital devices for second level has reached €430. That is up from €221 a couple of years ago.”
“At this time of year and with the great weather we are having, families should be planning holidays or spending days at the beach or elsewhere. Instead, for a growing number of families, this is a time of stress. They are already worrying about the cost of their children going back to school in September.”
“The Government has reintroduced State examination fees, increased school transport fees, cut the back-to-school clothes and footwear scheme and removed the cost-of-living payments for schools and the double child benefit payment. Many schools still do not provide hot lunches for kids.”
“I strongly support this motion which seeks to provide clear, identified and funded pathways for people with intellectual disabilities to move from home to a suitable residential placement and which supports the campaign by Before We Die, a family-led advocacy group seeking urgent ring-fenced Government funding for residential care and hou…”
“This fear is very real. Over 2,000 adults with an intellectual disability live with parents aged 70 or over, with 500 of those over 80. Some parents are providing full-time care into their 90s.”
“Ireland has committed to protecting the rights of people with disabilities through legislation and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This convention recognises the rights of people with disabilities to live independently and be included in the community.”
The complete record
Every one of 230 lines we hold for Ann Graves, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 2 of 5.
“The use of AI to generate non-consensual images is also wrong but unfortunately is not criminalised. In February Sinn Féin introduced an amendment to the harmful communications Act. This amendment will ensure that AI-generated sexualised and abusive images would be outlawed. Government needs to act on this to ensure the amendment is enacted as soon as possible. I also highlight the challenges for women who want to access help with addiction. Women use drugs and alcohol for different reasons to men and their journey is different to the journey that men go through. Women face different challenges and obstacles. Unfortunately, drug treatment and rehabilitation services are designed by men for men. It is great to have an international women's day but not once a year. We should be looking after women every day.”
“The women's shed was set up in 2022 by two inspirational local women, Glenda and Pamela, in response to the isolation and loss women were going through during Covid. They have been central to organising social, creative, health-led events and so much more, including friendship for other women. I was privileged to attend and address their International Women's Day event. It was brilliant. It was a great event, full of energy and solidarity. The group has grown year on year. I urge the Minister of State to ensure funding is made available to the Swords Women's Shed, like the men's shed, so they can have their own premises and fulfil their potential. The sharing of non-consensual photos or recordings of intimate images is wrong and is criminalised under legislation.”
“I welcome the opportunity to mark International Women's Day. The aim and theme this year of Give to Gain was really strong. The point was collaboration and collective action to drive opportunities for women and girls. When women drive, everyone thrives. As an active trade unionist for all of my working life, I see the link between the struggle for women’s rights and workers' rights. When we improve pay and conditions for women, everybody benefits. Families and communities benefit when women get fair pay and better working conditions. I have been lucky to engage with and support many women's groups in my constituency of Fingal East. One group I want to acknowledge is the Swords Women's Shed. Its mission is simple. It is to unite and empower women within the community through creative craft and socialisation.”
“That is the very least survivors should expect. Significant concerns remain that the legislation is incomplete and does not fully address the lived realities of survivors of institutional abuse. The State continues to shield religious orders from their financial responsibility. It is unacceptable that the State alone should foot the bill for crimes committed by both church and State. Justice delayed has already been justice denied. For survivors of institutional abuse, immediate and decisive action must follow tonight's apology in order to make it valid.”
“Successive Governments have recognised the wrongs, while failing to implement comprehensive survivor-centred solutions. Trust in government and the powers that be have been eroded by decades of inaction. Only decisive action can now change this. The Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Act 2025 was introduced by this Government. The Act is a half measure that ignores the needs of survivors. Sinn Féin brought forward amendments which sought to make the legislation equal for all survivors but they were struck down by the Government. Our amendments included a universal health card, a contributory State pension, educational bursaries, financial contributions from religious orders and equal access to all supports under the Act, regardless of whether survivors had received an award of settlement.”
“They then faced psychological and health issues following their hunger strike. Their courage, strength and sacrifice in undertaking a hunger strike was not for themselves alone but for all survivors. They undertook the process not just for them but for the 4,000 survivors of residential institutional abuse. Their demands were simple. A State-contributory pension to acknowledge the years of unpaid labour carried out in institutions where children were forced to work without remuneration, education or protection and a Health (Amendment) Act card to help address the lifelong consequences of the abuse they suffered in these industrial and reformatory schools. While the Taoiseach's apology is very welcome, survivors have experienced decades of lip service.”
“From 21 September to 10 November 2025, Mary Donovan, Mary Dunlevy Greene, Maurice Patton O'Connell and Miriam Moriarty Owens were forced to go on hunger strike outside this building for 51 days and nights in an attempt for justice. They slept on the streets outside this House in appalling conditions and weather. Their meagre possessions were stolen in what is supposed to be safe Dublin. They did it to represent other survivors. I had the privilege of supporting them by raising their case in this House at the beginning of last November. During my contribution, I pleaded with the Taoiseach to go out, meet the hunger strikers and agree to their reasonable demands. The survivors have been deeply traumatised by the institutional abuse they suffered, and they were retraumatised by the Government's lack of engagement and response.”
“It is a common condition, and while some people will need continued access to special care, others can be appropriately managed by primary care closer to home. Epilepsy Ireland is asking the Government to expand the chronic disease management programme to include epilepsy. I fully support that request.”
“We are talking about an 85-year-old man who has a requirement for blood tests. He can avail of a blood test with his GP but he only has a GP card, so it would cost him €40 every time he has one done. He is struggling with the cost of living and he cannot afford to pay this. We have a population of 41,000 in Swords, of whom 10% are aged over 65 years. There should be a free blood testing service in place for people in Swords. The Government should ensure the new public primary healthcare centre in the town, which will be accessible to people in the wider Fingal East area, will have a free blood test service for people. Epilepsy Ireland works with over 45,000 people living with epilepsy across the country.”
“Then, at 66 or 67 years of age, they have to look for a new GP to sign up with. They are finding that difficult because all of the GP practices are oversubscribed. I am dealing with an 85-year-old man from Swords who requires blood tests every two months. The next fasting appointment he can get is in Beaumont Hospital to which he would have to take two buses while fasting. His second option is the Mater Hospital, which would require him to take one bus. While that is more manageable, the hospital has no available appointments. The man in question used to get his blood test done in St. Joseph's Hospital in Raheny but that facility is no longer available. There is a walk-in service in St. Vincent's University Hospital, which again means taking two buses and a Luas, but this is too far for him to travel.”
“I thank the Social Democrats for bringing forward this motion, which we fully support. It is an issue we all deal with every single day. For most people, their GP is the first port of call when they have illness in their family. However, GP practices are struggling to deal with demand. We have situations where people have to plan to be sick before they can get an appointment. The primary healthcare system has to support quality, scheduled and urgent access to clinicians in order that patients and their families can build a trusting relationship with their GPs. However, the policy implemented by the Government has broken down these relationships over the years. We have people who become eligible for medical cards because of their advanced age being removed from their GP practice list because the quota has been reached.”
“The Government's plan to cut SNAs from individual schools has to be scrapped. It shows the Government is out of touch with the needs of schools and parents, but most importantly, children. Imposing quotas to SNAs is going to affect our most vulnerable children. I have been contacted by schools and parents across my constituency and they are really anxious about the announcement. Those who have gotten letters do not know what situation they are going to be in. One mother who wrote to me yesterday asked: When will our Government open their eyes to people with disabilities in this country, especially our children? It is a no for this plan. It is an already weak service and thankfully the SNAs are amazing and do so much more than they are paid for. That is reflective of many parents' comments.”
“The father sleeps in a local park and his son is constantly running away from home to be with his dad at the park. These are only two examples of the growing number of cases I am dealing with every single day in my constituency office in Swords. This is the nightmare of Dublin today and the Government is the cause of this. However, it does not have to be like that. Tonight's motion calls on the Government to ban investment funds from buying up family homes. The choice is the Minister's: either he stands with the ordinary people of Ireland or he stands with developers, landlords and vulture funds.”
“While facilitating investment funds in buying up homes, the Government is doing nothing to support the tenant in situ scheme. This scheme was one way of preventing homelessness but the Government has cut the funding and virtually put an end to the scheme. This is having a hugely negative effect on the lives of people living in my constituency. One man working in a haulage company in Swords was left homeless due to a no-fault eviction. He ended up living in the company truck during the week and sleeping on the streets every weekend. He then ended up in hospital quite ill. He has since been discharged back to homelessness and back onto the streets. The home of a struggling young father from Donabate was sold by his landlord and his children had to go back to live in an abusive situation.”
“Housing remains the single biggest emergency that families and communities face in Ireland. It affects every aspect of our society, from families languishing on council housing lists for 16 years and more, never sure if the dreaded eviction notice is going to land, to teachers, nurses, doctors, gardaí and skilled workers having to move abroad where they can afford mortgages and rents. They cannot do it here. All this is happening while the vulture funds hover, waiting to buy up entire estates. There is nothing acceptable about vulture funds bulk-buying at the expense of workers, families and struggling home buyers. It happens because the Government allows it to happen. In less than five years, house prices have gone up by nearly 50%, with vulture funds competing with ordinary people and driving up prices.”
“In the absence of Government legislation, I ask the Minister, on behalf of the women of Ireland, to ensure that his party supports the Bill brought forward tonight.”
“It will explicitly criminalise the non-consensual creation or generation of intimate images and videos through the use of AI. It will extend the statute of limitations from two to five years for summary offences and it will increase the maximum penalties upon conviction. These legislative changes are supported by Women's Aid, Rape Crisis Ireland, the Sexual Exploitation Research and Policy Institute and Éist, as well as by Jackie Fox, the mother Nicole Fox Fenlon, for whom Coco's Law is named. If this Government had acted promptly to introduce legislation, it would have received co-operation from the Opposition. Instead, it chose to sit on its hands and do nothing. Meanwhile, non-consensual images were generated and lives have been destroyed.”
“Violence against women in Ireland is a massive problem and the digital and social media spaces have a central role in amplifying this violence. The sharing of non-consensual photos or the recording of images is absolutely wrong on all levels and is rightfully criminalised under the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020, or Coco's Law. Unfortunately, however, the use of AI to generate deepfakes or non-consensual intimate images is not criminalised. This Government has been too slow to bring forward legislation to address what is clearly a loophole in the Act. The Government's failure to introduce relevant legislation has become clear in recent months, particularly following the Grok nudification scandal. This Sinn Féin Bill will amend Coco's Law by making three straightforward changes.”
“This is in the middle of a housing crisis. This has caused huge hardship, stress and expense to these families. In another case, a woman living in Donabate contacted me regarding asbestos pipes in her home and garden. The water for new development in Donabate is being forced through the old pipes, causing leaks. The water floods her garden and her septic tank and this requires huge clean-up which is extremely costly and a health and safety risk. The last flood came right up to her front door. Unfortunately, Uisce Éireann has no plans to replace the pipes, so this issue will be ongoing for some time until the replacements can be added to the schedule of works for Uisce Éireann. This is unacceptable. These are just two examples of cases that are affecting people's homes, not even touching on the infrastructural problems that we have.”
“Each communication was assigned a new ticket which further delayed the resolution and caused further frustration for new residents. Initially, it was a planning issue. Then it was permission from a landowner, then it was a riser and then the planning went out of date and new drawings had to be done. This was all at the cost of the developer and home buyers. Some of them who had given up rental properties had to move back in with their families. Some of them have had to go for new mortgage reapproval and some people are sofa surfing while they wait for these houses to be delivered. They expected them in the summer of last year. In June last year, I contacted the Minister to intervene to ensure that the connections would be carried out as a matter of urgency, allowing families to move in as soon as possible.”
“Households pay for their water. It is not free. It is an essential service covered by general taxation, which funds Uisce Éireann. Uisce Éireann was dressed up as a solution to all our water problems, but for the people in Dublin Fingal East whom I represent, this is not the case. Uisce Éireann is a major obstacle to the progress on building houses and getting them out for sale to new families. We have a phase of new homes in Knocksedan, a housing development that has been delayed because Uisce Éireann would not give the go-ahead to the developer for a new pumping station. This was only resolved in January of this year, following 18 emails from myself and phone calls to Uisce Éireann. In the meantime, the developer was also contacting Uisce Éireann, but nothing happened.”
“It is about our children's lives. We need to look after it. I call on the Minister to withdraw his amendment, to look at this and deal with it in the manner it needs to be, as quickly and urgently as possible.”
“It deals with where it should be despatched within the State. This would require wholesalers to have a licence to sell this gas and related products. Retailers would also have to be on an approved register to sell related products. It would be illegal to sell to under 18s. It would be illegal to have under 18s sell the products even if it is on a licensed premises, in the same way as it is for them to sell alcohol. The Bill will allow gardaí to seize the nitrous oxide if they believe the person is under 18 or if the person is to use it as an intoxicant. These canisters can then be disposed of or destroyed properly. I heard stories over Hallowe'en where they have been flung into fires and were going off like missiles. There are loads of addendums to this that need to be dealt with. At the moment it is urgency.”
“Every time our Tidy Towns and other volunteering groups are collecting litter, they are cleaning up bag loads of canisters all over the place. It is not only a public health issue, but an environmental challenge. Sinn Féin's Bill is a solutions-based common-sense approach. I urge the Minister to reconsider, withdraw his amendment and not delay this by nine months. How many more children's lives will be affected in a nine-month period? We are delaying dealing with the issues just to tie it up. They could be dealt with on Committee Stage. The Minister mentioned this himself. Every time our young people use this gas they are playing Russian roulette with their health and with their lives. We need to deal with it, and we need to deal with it now. The Bill covers the sale of nitrous oxide from abroad.”
“I commend my colleague Teachta Ward, not only on the work he has done recently but over the past number of years. This is not work that has been done over the past two months. A lot of time and effort has been invested in it. We are all aware that nitrous oxide has become a scourge in all of our communities. Our young people are being put at serious risk by people who are making profit out of children's health. I have met with community and support groups and been contacted by members of the public across my area of Fingal East who are coming across discarded canisters outside schools and playgrounds and on football pitches where young people are. They are just discarded on the road. I went out of my house to the green area across the road and picked up 15 canisters last weekend. That was just on a green space outside my house.”
“We are also calling on the Government to publicly support the legal action being taken by members of the European Parliament against the ratification of the Mercosur agreement and, finally, we ask that the Government mandates its MEPs to vote against the deal and build a blocking minority among like-minded EU member states.”
“For years, Sinn Féin has been highlighting the reasons we should oppose this deal. We urged this Government to come out and join us in campaigning against the Mercosur deal but it sat silently refusing to defend Ireland's interests until the last minute when it was too late. Sinn Féin will continue to actively campaign to put an end to this disastrous deal. Our MEPs Lynn Boylan and Kathleen Funchion are taking a legal challenge against the deal and there will be a vote on it in the EU Parliament. Sinn Féin is calling on the Government to put into the public domain all legal, political and diplomatic actions it will now take to stop the Mercosur trade deal.”
“The decision by the EU Council to approve the Mercosur trade deal was a bad day for Ireland. It is bad for our public health, our environment, our agricultural industry and our citizens. The Government's eleventh hour conversion to opposing the deal was a cynical move to save votes but the public and the farming community saw through this manoeuvre. The Government only made the decision to oppose this dodgy deal when it was safe in the knowledge it would have passed because of Italy's decision to support it.”
“Sinn Féin wants a comprehensive public health led approach to vaping. It may be less harmful than cigarettes, but that does not mean it is harm free. We are open to better regulations for vaping and in line with tobacco that would include restricted flavourings and packages, especially those targeting our young people. We need to get this policy right. It needs to be balanced so that vaping is not made as expensive as smoking or penalised in the same way. I know a number of people who have spoken about going back to smoking cigarettes because of the impact of the budget. That has had a huge impact. The Bill needs to be part of a wider proactive public health response to vaping and nicotine products.”
“Before 2021, the only widely available disposable vapes were cigarette-like e-cigarettes targeted at those aged over 35 and those trying to give up smoking. The newer disposable vape brands are designed to be far more aesthetically pleasing and sexier looking. They target our younger people and are appealing and trendy. The HSE describes disposable vapes as becoming popular in Ireland, in particular with young people. Some of the most common brands include names like Lost Mary, Elf Bar and Vuse. They all clearly target our young people who may be averse to smoking cigarettes. Vapes lure them in with flavours, colours and names. The HSE has confirmed that children and young people who vape are more likely to be addicted to nicotine, develop mood disorders and find it hard to control their impulses.”
“Single-use and short life vapes are highly wasteful, and contribute to our litter problems and impact on the environment. In 2024, 25 tonnes of e-cigarette and vape devices were collected for recycling in Ireland, equating to over 1.1 million devices. I have no doubt that there was an increase last year. The contents of a disposable vape include plastic, nicotine salts, heavy metals and flammable lithium ion batteries which all leak into our water and soil. Like cigarette butts, e-cigarette waste is not biodegradable even under the most severe conditions. Single-use vapes discarded on our streets eventually break down into microplastics and chemicals that pose a threat to the environment. The biggest issue is that vapes are targeted specifically at our young people.”
“Like my colleague, I am a former smoker but I am a vaper. That being said, the Bill has a somewhat piecemeal approach to vaping. We need a comprehensive public health response to vaping and nicotine. This is the third Bill on smoking in the past three years and there is at least another one on the way. Sinn Féin fully supports a ban on single-use vapes. We sought a similar ban for a number of years. A 2024 study by TobaccoFree Research Institute Ireland found that one in 20 young people uses nicotine pouches and one in ten has tried them. However, the Bill only targets products that are already being phased out. The Government needs to get ahead of the curve and introduce health legislation that is proactive rather than reactive. The Minister for Health needs to introduce modern and comprehensive legislation on vaping.”
“The Government has to release the purse strings to give the disabled a once-off payment and give our elderly people the financial assistance they need to heat their homes properly.”
“Fuel poverty is at crisis levels in the State. I see it first-hand in my own constituency in Fingal East, particularly among the elder generations who are having to choose between heating and eating. I met a woman in her 70s from Malahide the other day who has worked her entire life. She spends her days walking around shopping centres to try to get some heat. It is absolutely appalling. She has changed her diet and is living on instant Cup A Soups because she cannot afford to eat. When it comes to the choice on blister packs, she is not going to be able to afford that either. The Taoiseach's Government patted itself on the back for having a surplus of €9 billion and that surplus has come at a terrible cost. People are literally freezing in their homes.”
“Mostly, I thank the women in the Gallery for their bravery and for coming forward. Their voices will be heard through this legislation.”
“Another woman, whose partner attacked her with a screwdriver, had to move out of a council property while her partner and abuser remains in the home. She was unable to find emergency accommodation and is now living in a garden shed with no heat or water. These cases are only the tip of the iceberg that is violence against women in modern day Ireland. Our local authorities must be adequately supported in providing appropriate emergency accommodation to women and children fleeing domestic and sexual violence, and councils must ensure the perpetrators are not allowed to remain the tenant in a council home while the victims are forced out onto the street. I acknowledge the work that my colleagues, Deputy Matt Carthy and Senator Maria McCormack, have done in bringing forward this legislation.”
“One of the major issues for women fleeing violence is the need for safe, secure and accessible housing. This was brought home to me by a woman who owns her own home. She had to move out because of the terrible level of domestic and sexual violence she experienced. She was left struggling to find somewhere safe to stay while the perpetrator was left living in the family home. Another woman had to flee her own home after her ex-partner, who had subjected her to such levels of violence that she is now prevented from being able to return to work because of her injuries, moved in three doors away from where she lived. She was in so much fear of further violence that she and her son had to move out. They are currently living in their car.”
“On the day that we mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, we all need to stop and reflect on how we can work together to reduce and eliminate all violence against women. Last year, the annual report for the Courts Service showed an increase of 13.6% in sexual violence against women. That is just not good enough. We need to overhaul the courts system to ensure it is supportive and safe for victims of sexual violence. This Bill is practical, solution focused and a step in the right direction. It provides that if someone is convicted of a crime of sexual violence, at the same time, a court could impose an order restraining the convicted person from approaching the victim. The Bill, however, is not a panacea for all sexual violence.”
“We would use the current fiscal surplus of €9 billion to catch up on lost decades of underinvestment. The public deserve better than what is currently on offer. We need a comprehensive multi-annual plan that addresses capacity, workforce planning and adequate funding to deliver a world-class healthcare system free at the point of delivery. We need a single-tier system and we need Sláintecare.”
“The facts are a damning indictment, in that 2.53 million people, which is almost half the population, are covered by private health insurance. They are paying out a massive €2.5 billion every year in premiums and now they are facing increased costs. The healthcare model being pursued by the Government is designed to facilitated a two-tier healthcare system, which allows those who can afford to pay to speedily access high-quality treatment and care, while those who cannot afford to pay continue to languish in queues waiting for scans, appointments, therapies and operations. The good news is this does not have to be this way. Sinn Féin has a plan to tackle the waiting lists and deliver a national health service for Ireland. We would bring an urgency to fixing healthcare and deliver better services for everyone across the island.”
“In a case involving another family, the son has a disability and is waiting for an operation. The wait for the operation has been so long and his health has deteriorated so badly that he has since had to give up employment. These are just a few examples of the struggles families have to deal with to access healthcare in one of wealthiest economies in the world. Consecutive governments have implemented polices that have made the situation worse for people. Health policy has been driven by a system that views healthcare as a commodity that can be bought and sold in the free market. Government should be aiming to develop a public health care system that removes the need for any citizen to spend their hard-earned income on private insurance.”
“My office in Swords is inundated with constituents looking for assistance for the most basic medical needs. A woman contacted me looking for help. She is distraught. Her son is on a waiting list for occupational therapy. The waiting list for her son is 55 months. This is a disgrace. The blame for this waiting list lies with the Government. A man from Malahide in his late 80s has been in hospital for over a year. He needs to be at home with appropriate care. A hospital is totally inappropriate for his needs. Unfortunately, the respite centre wants to send him home with an inadequate care package. He was offered additional hours and subsequently told that this was a mistake. This man has worked his entire life, helped build this country and paid his taxes and the least he can expect is to be given care in his time of need.”
“In this State, we have a two-tier health system and it is clearly highlighted in the Bill. The lack of a universal healthcare system free at the point of delivery has created a private market for healthcare. Removing private healthcare from public hospitals is an important and necessary development. It will reduce the dependency on private healthcare but it demands that the Department step up to the challenge and increase the public capacity. It is unacceptable that access to healthcare depends on the ability to pay. Many households see health insurance as a necessity because they can no longer rely on a broken system propped up by broken promises. Waiting lists are too long. There are 300,000 people waiting on scans and more that 40,000 have been waiting over 18 months.”
“This occupation continues despite the ruling of the International Court of Justice that Morocco has no right to occupy Western Sahara. It must immediately withdraw and allow the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic to determine its own future. Both Italy and Slovenia are on the verge of enacting legislation similar to our occupied territories Bill. History will judge this Government, not on its words but on its actions. It must take strong and decisive action against Israel’s genocide and ongoing occupation of Palestine.”
“Here, the people have marched in their tens of thousands demanding justice and peace for Palestine. We know only too well about colonisation, division and conflict. We also understand how important international solidarity is to a people in struggle. By enacting the occupied territories Bill, the Government can send a loud and clear message of solidarity on behalf of the people. This Bill is the minimum that should be imposed on the apartheid Israeli state. It will only affect goods and services coming from the occupied territories. The effect of the occupied territories Bill will not only solely focus on Israel, but would also affect occupiers the world over. It would send an important message to the Moroccan Government that we will not stand idly by and allow it to illegally occupy Western Sahara, which is Africa’s last colony.”
“Israel's genocide in Gaza is happening in real time. We see it on our news feeds on our phones. It is beyond doubt. Since October 2023, 69,500 people, the majority of them children, have been murdered by Israel. A further 217 journalists and media workers, 120 academics and 224 humanitarian workers have been killed by Israel. This is the list of crimes against humanity carried out with precision by Israel, but it did not start in October 2023. This has been done with the support of Washington and Brussels. Israel must be held to account for its actions. The recent ceasefire, while welcome, has only slowed down the genocide. Israel continues to wage a war on Palestine with its restrictions on aid, man-made famine in Gaza and the ongoing murderous settler violence in the West Bank.”
“This must serve as a wake-up call for the Government. Now it is time for it to make up its mind, stand up for Ireland and its farmers against this dangerous deal and say no to Mercosur.”
“This could be exploited to further undermine EU regulations around climate, workers’ rights and health standards. The agreement puts the health of our people at risk. It will facilitate a race to the bottom in poultry and beef standards. There is no test for the antibiotics put into beef or poultry imported from Brazil. We have to take the word of rich big ranch farmers. This is simply not good enough. This deal will have damaging consequences for the environment. It will see further deforestation in South America. It threatens the livelihood of indigenous farmers in Brazil. They have pleaded with Europe not to support this deal as it will give the big ranchers and their supporters the green light to push farmers off their land to make way for the production of beef to undermine EU farmers, including Irish farmers.”
“The Minister knows the Mercosur trade deal is bad for Ireland and Irish farmers. Before the last general election, the Government was against the agreement. Now it is time to stand up against the deal. In the EU, the Sinn Féin MEPs, Lynn Boylan and Kathleen Funchion, are standing up for Ireland and Irish farmers. Along with colleagues in the Left group, they have referred the deal to the European Court of Justice. They have asked the top European court to rule on whether the Mercosur deal is legal under EU law. This agreement is widely criticised for undermining our climate goals and bypassing democratic scrutiny. The deal would let either side demand compensation if it believed the policies of the other side had hurt it economically, even if those policies complied with all legal and trade rules.”
“Meanwhile, Russia had spent an estimated €215 billion on the war in Ukraine. Sinn Féin and the Irish people oppose these conflicts and those profiteering from them. We want a Europe in peace and a world where peace, prosperity and stability reign.”