Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 11 June 2015

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs

Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership: Discussion

2:00 pm

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome our guests. I have a simple question. On the concern about TTIP expressed here and before the committee previously, what about a dispute resolution process? Could we hear a little more about multilateral investment courts to which reference was made? For example, we all would be concerned about the possibility of governments being sued. I am not sure that it is so easy to bypass the national constitutions and move straight into that area. I am not convinced that can happen. Where a group of governments enters into an agreement, the governments have their respective constitutions to adhere to.

It is presumed they will have regard to these constitutions before entering into the agreement, as we have done in the case of membership of the European Union. I seek clarification on that point.

To what extent can business and jobs in Ireland increase as a result of the TTIP? We would be most supportive of an agreement that was beneficial to Ireland. If, however, it was to transpire that some smaller industries or jobs would be displaced on a quid pro quobasis, we would have concerns about this. I would appreciate comments of the delegates on that point.

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