Mr. Chris Collenette:

I will say quickly that Ireland would not just be saying no to the ISDS, but it would be saying no to the entire agreement. It is not a pick and choose situation. It was negotiated over many years. Changes were made that reflected some of the concerns regarding the previous ISDS. From a larger standpoint, does it help the relationship? No, it does not help the relationship. I will be clear on this.

I was asked why we need it. The Deputy is right that the Irish courts have served the interests of the State and international companies very well here. A couple of years ago, the Commercial Court was introduced and that was really so that the normal courts system did not get clogged up with commercial disputes up to a certain amount. What the ICS provides is an arbitration dispute mechanism that allows parties - companies and countries - to resolve their issues. I should note that in the text, it notes that any dispute should be dealt with immediately and will, hopefully, come to a conclusion.