Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There was a partnership and co-operation agreement with Brunei but that was suspended due to the imposition of Sharia law. I give that as one example of where we said "No". In addition, one could not discuss those issues and it was time to go. We hope to have agreements with Malaysia and Thailand as well. The agreement with the Philippines is a good example. The agreement was signed in 2011 and entered into force in 2018. It has allowed for the creation of specialised subcommittees, which are similar to the EU-UK specialised committees and subcommittees. The agreement has allowed for both sides to be represented in terms of the following: development co-operation, trade, investment and economic co-operation, good governance and the rule of law, and human rights. The agreements give the EU an opportunity to influence countries.

We need trade for our own economic prosperity but, quite frankly, we need to ensure less developed countries trade, and I emphasise that Singapore is a well developed country. Agreements help trade to flow and that, in turn, brings wealth to other parts of the world thus greatly benefiting the lives of people. Part of the global migration problem is due to reduced economic benefits. One of the ways to reduce migratory pressures is to help economies to grow in parts of the world that are developing, which is one of the benefits of trade agreements. All of the areas I listed are dealt with in the trade agreement with the Philippines.

As my official, Mr. Boucher, has reminded me, the Philippines has agreed a moratorium on the death penalty in this presidential term. That decision was made in part due to the EU's agreement and influence plus effective diplomacy by countries from around the world. I say that because these are issues that our diplomats and other diplomats, particularly from the EU, talk about all of the time. I have given members a practical example where an agreement has worked to the benefit of people, improved human rights and led to economic development.