Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 22 September 2021
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation
EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
Indeed, and I appreciate that is the Minister's position. In 2017, his colleague, the Minister for Transport, Deputy Ryan, described CETA as being written and negotiated by big corporate interests and their lobbyists. He said that it was wrong. The Minister clearly does not share those views but I want to go beyond the trade aspect, which is operational. The aspect that gets me every time is that much of this is already operational. As he outlined, the benefits, in as much as there are any, are already there. The Minister, Deputy Ryan, was very clear in 2017 - when he was not yet in government - to say that he believed it was wrong and that it was negotiated by big corporate interests and their lobbyists.
Beyond the trade aspect, which we have already, what exactly is it that is so beneficial? I share the Minister for Transport's view in 2017. I am interested to know. The Tánaiste clearly has significant support for this. What are the specific aspects beyond trade because that is operational? What is it exactly that he is so enamoured of?