Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)

The WTO trading system has been helpful to Ireland and it continues to work. However, the proposed changes are extremely troubling and the Minister and the Government have rightly set their stall firmly against them. That is why I find it difficult to accept the notion put forward by the Opposition that the Minister has done nothing. She has shown in various statements, including her contribution to the debate, that she is not prepared to accept the proposals. The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment put forward a strong argument regarding the efforts he is making to ensure a deal will not be accepted. That approach has found agreement among 20 member states and it is clear the deal will not be accepted. We should support that approach. A successful conclusion to these negotiations would be nice but we would be better off with no deal, as Deputy Ulick Burke said, than the deal on the table. That must be a central part of the stance adopted.

A fair agreement, which does not place an undue burden on EU agriculture, is needed. The industry is important to Ireland but may not be as important to other member states. The Minister set out how, through the special status of goods, Ireland will be in a stronger position to deal with the proposals. Ireland must set limits beyond which it is not prepared to pass and Irish agriculture, in particular, cannot be sacrificed for the benefit of others. I, like my colleagues, am extremely concerned about the issues underlying the agreement. We are focused on the potential impact on the livelihoods of small rural holdings and the entire agriculture sector. That is not to say we allow it to cloud our mind. We recognise the deal that is there and that it is not acceptable. Through our Ministers and Department officials, we are clearly putting forward the alternatives and a strong objection to what is being proposed.

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