Patricia Stephenson (Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I thank the committee for inviting us here as members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, as there is great interest in this issue there. I will be quick and will not use up even two minutes.

There are obviously deep contradictions between the CSDDD and the omnibus. It is concerning. Everything is theoretical because right now, we do not have the transposition of the CSDDD, and therefore we have not seen the brilliant impact it would have brought. We are operating in a situation where all of these environmental and human rights abuses we are discussing are happening in our supply chains. I feel deeply concerned about the speed with which this was brought in when we had great consensus this time last year. Committee members acknowledged the years of efforts, negotiations and advocacy that went in to get the CSDDD in some form, even if we were not all delighted about the form it came out in. I am worried about what is happening and the speed at which it is happening at EU level. Mr. Fitzpatrick mentioned the deadline of the end of the sixth month of the Danish Presidency, which does not leave us much time. In summary, what are the specific individual issues that Ireland could table and that this committee could recommend and the committee of foreign affairs could potentially recommend that the Government should lead on at European level in order that Ireland can push for change?

The omnibus probably will come because there are many member states with vested interests in this. What can we do? Where are our allies in Europe in terms of other countries with vested interests in keeping elements of the CSDDD at the core of the omnibus? What are the clear questions on advocacy that we should pursue now, given the timeframe?