The future prospect of cheaper imports of
South American beef threatening the Irish beef industry has been alleviated for
the moment. So says the Fine Gael MEP Mairead McGuinness who echoed comments
made earlier in the week by the Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan. Commissioner Hogan told farmers in Wales that beef would be ‘off the
menu’ and would be withdrawn from trade negotiations with the Mercosur group of
South American countries. But Mairead McGuinness is warning the ongoing
EU-Mercosur trade talks have to be monitored closely to ensure beef doesn’t go
back onto the menu.

Dur: 00:26 

The Fine Gael MEP Mairead McGuinness says MEPs
have successfully managed to persuade the EU Commission not to give concessions
on the beef trade to the Mercosur countries. Ms McGuinness was one of a number
of MEPs who was concerned that the EU was prepared to sacrifice the European
beef industry to gain other deals with the group of South American countries. The
EU is currently negotiating a trade deal with the Mercosur countries. Ms
McGuinness says the EU Commission now understands the importance of protecting the
European agriculture industry from cheaper imports from South America.

Dur: 00:44 

The Fine Gael MEP Deirdre Clune says
there is no evidence to support claims that Norwegian air will use low-paid
crews on transatlantic flights from Cork and Shannon to the US. Ms Clune, who
is on the European Parliament’s Transport Committee, was responding to
statements made by the US presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders. He’s calling on
the US Department of Transportation to refuse permission to Norwegian Airlines
International to fly to the US from European cities such as Cork. The
Democratic candidate is claiming Norwegian Air will outsource cheap labour from
Thailand and that it will undercut the wages and benefits of airline workers
throughout the US. Here’s Deirdre Clune.

Dur: 00:34