Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In 2012, the European Parliament called for the inclusion of a comprehensive human rights chapter in addition to the social and environmental chapters in all future trade agreements. There is no such chapter in this trade agreement. In 2013, there was an increase in social protests, which led to a peak in violence, as a result of the opposition by the people of Colombia to the trade agreement. Security forces in Colombia used excessive force during the protest by the people against this specific trade agreement, and 70 protesters, including community leaders, were killed. To state the trade agreement is a vehicle for positive change is nonsense. I commend the work of Christian Aid, Trócaire, the Latin America Solidarity Centre, ICTU, Justice for Colombia and all the other groups working to try to get the EU to desist from this. While the Chamber must ratify the agreement, Members should at least be given the ability and right to debate it before ratification. It will all sound very well when we pass a vote, but usually people come in here and do not know what they are voting for. We should be given an opportunity to debate this and the Teachtaí Dála who vote on it should educate themselves on the ramifications of its ratification.

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