Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I listened to the Minister of State's presentation. I have read the CONCORD assessment which, as the Minister of State is aware, is the umbrella group of NGOs across Europe working in development aid and assistance. From reading its paper and listening to the Minister of State's presentation, one would almost think there were two different agreements.

I must to put a number of issues to the Minister of State. These agreements operate outside the framework of the WTO. They go further in terms of liberalisation by including services, investment and procurement alongside goods. West Africa had been opposed to this. This goes further in terms of impacting on its ability to protect its key public services from privatisation. Twelve of the 16 west African countries are in the least developed countries, LDCs. They would, therefore, have been entitled to trade with Europe under the Everything But Arms system but Europe has opposed this. It appears that we have a situation where Europe wants to go further than this. I see the Minister of State nodding his head. The reality is that the wealthiest economic region in the world is engaging in a trade agreement with one of the poorest economic regions in the world. We have a situation where it would clearly be better for many of those countries to trade with each other and trade within their regions rather than being in competition with the established stronger global corporations. Many of these trade agreements are negotiated in Europe against the best interests of civil society in west Africa. West African farmers have spoken out on their concerns about this matter. The Minister of State has presented it almost as if it is benign. Everybody supports the idea of trade between Africa and Ireland and Africa and Europe and we want to turn the investment we have made in development aid to the point where the countries involved will eventually move toward prosperity and trade with the world. They need to trade with each other and meet their own market needs first, particularly in terms of agriculture. How can the Minister of State give the presentation he has given today and not be cognisant of the concerns in the report from CONCORD? One quote that really alarmed me is from Günter Nooke, Angela Merkel's adviser on Africa, who is a pretty important person. He says:

Part of the German and European taxes are devoted to various development programmes in Africa. The new economic agreement concluded between the EU and certain African governments will have the effect of cancelling the impact of these programmes.

That is a pretty big statement for the individual who is an adviser to Angela Merkel - the most key political leader in Europe on Africa - to make. The Minister of State is asking us, as parliamentarians, based on a debate in this meeting, to pass this agreement and to put the imprimatur of the Irish people on it. Our reputation has been a proud one of world leaders in investment in overseas development aid and assistance and the Minister of State is asking us to put it on the line for this agreement without any debate in the Dáil or Seanad on the matter. He has the ability to remove this motion from a vote. I assume it will be put before the Dáil tomorrow and I ask the Minister of State to withdraw it and make time for debating it in the Dáil and Seanad and to include the voices of the NGOs that work on the ground, not only those of civil society leaders in Europe. Every umbrella group of European NGOs working in Africa is deeply opposed to this. They say that the support of trade with Africa can be achieved without going down the road of these agreements which are outside the framework of the WTO. They go further than the WTO would want.

What is the Minister of State's response? Has he read this document? Who benefits from the EPA between the EU and west Africa? Has he read this, as the Minister of State with responsibility in the area? If he has, what is his rebuttal of the points that are made? Will he agree to a debate in the Dáil and Seanad on this vitally important issue which puts the reputation of our State and people on the line before we go down the road of this agreement?