Photograph: Getty ImagesA new trade deal between the EU and Australia could be agreed as early as next week, opening the prospect of further competition for Irish farmers due to imports of meat. The Government, which opposed the recent Mercosur agreement with South American companies, will support the Australian deal, according to several people familiar with the issue. Thousands of farmers from across Ireland turned out to protest the EU-Mercosur trade deal in Athlone. The IFA mounted a large campaign against the Mercosur deal, pressuring the Government to vote against it, though it was approved by a majority vote. Sources in Government say that, having opposed Mercosur, Dublin could not credibly stand against another trade deal.

Source: The Irish Times March 20, 2026 16:31 UTC