Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)

We will certainly take on board the concerns of those important and reputable agencies. There is no question about that. We are moving in the direction of concluding the trade agreement, but it has not been done yet and there still is opportunity for further negotiation.

I accept Deputy Mac Lochlainn's point about the process for accession to the European Union and the length of time it takes, but this process began formally in 2009. Obviously, there has been engagement on a human rights level for a longer period than that. It will be a minimum period of three years - up until 2012 - when it is anticipated that the agreement will be signed. There has been an opportunity to give it careful consideration but there still remains some opportunity for consideration.

I take on board all of the points Deputy Mac Lochlainn makes. There is active engagement and dialogue between the European Union and the Governments of Colombia and Peru on the area of human rights, but those are negotiations and talks that have gone on for quite some time without any tangible results. By engaging such countries in a trade agreement which basically imposes binding obligations on them, one has the power to be able to say that one will suspend the trade agreement - that is contained in the terms of the proposed agreement. The issue of the risk to small farmers is a real one of which we must be conscious but balanced with it are the significant opportunities for farmers to sell their produce. We have seen in other Latin American countries the significant opportunities that have opened up, for example, in Brazil and Argentina. Hopefully, there will be opportunities for farmers in those countries as well.

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