John Lyons (Dublin North West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The proposal, as it stands, has many merits. I wish to refer to the potential impact on some of the poorest countries in the world, such as those in Africa and Asia. There are a number of pieces of research, including the review by the EU Directorate-General for External Policies on the potential impacts of TTIP, which states it will have a negative impact on some countries outside the area it covers. Numerous other studies predict there may be some losses, some serious, for some of the world's poorest countries owing to such a wide trade agreement between both sides of the Atlantic. Bangladesh and Pakistan have massive clothing industries. This is just one concrete example.

I am very conscious that most of the debate today has rightly focused on many of effects the agreement may have on Ireland per sebut, given our stance on supporting the developing countries and how our Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade supports the developing countries, I have two questions, in particular. Is TTIP, as it stands, undermining the EU's own commitment to policy coherence for development? Does it stand up to the EU's own policy on coherence for development? Given that the publication of the sustainability impact assessment on TTIP has been delayed until the end of 2015, would it not be safe to say not enough has been done on the impact of TTIP on countries beyond the areas covered on both sides of the Atlantic, particularly the world's poorest countries?