Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would like it to have been done already, when we attempted to put it to a vote in the Dáil last December, but our partners in government wanted to take a bit more time to allow committees such as this to scrutinise it. We were happy to concede to that. I would ideally like it to be put to a vote before the summer recess, and certainly no later than this year. I do not want to go into too much detail on any court cases but I would find it very surprising if the courts found this agreement to be unconstitutional. The ESM treaty was not, so I do not see how something that is less far reaching and does not involve a transfer of sovereignty could be unconstitutional. People have a right to go to court, but I hope they will not impose on the taxpayer the cost of the court cases. I think it would be wrong that the Government would have to pick up the bill for substantial legal fees if the case was defeated. The decent thing for them to do would be to cover the cost of that themselves, or at least to contribute to the cost of it rather than asking the hard-pressed taxpayer to do it or for the money to be taken away from public services, which would be the effect, unfortunately.

I do not recall being lobbied by any Canadian interests but the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, would certainly have met the Canadian ambassador and perhaps Canadian interests too. By lobby, I mean to physically or virtually meet. I get many letters all the time and I do not see them all, as the Deputy knows, so there may have been letters. The Irish business associations have been very much in favour of the treaty and supportive of it, such as the various IBEC associations. They are the ones dealing with Canada, and they know it is in their interest and is good for Irish business and Irish jobs. They also know what signal it could send if Ireland starts to be seen as one of those countries in which the political consensus in favour of free trade is breaking down. That would be a problem.

The chilling effect of that is the effect about which I worry. One good thing we have had in Ireland for decades is that business and investors know that among the major parties, there is a political consensus in favour of the European Union, the Single European Act, the euro and so on. It would be damaging for Ireland if people thought it was drifting away or that there was a move towards more extreme, nationalist ideologies that oppose the Union, the Single European Act and the euro, and that now might start opposing free trade agreements as well. When businesses make investments, they make 30-year investments. If they have a concern nationalistic politics of that sort could take hold in Ireland, they might invest elsewhere.