Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

-----and the United States with regard to trade. As the Deputy probably knows, we are a trading island and we must make our living in the world. Any negotiations that provide markets for Irish goods and services are of significant importance to developing and sustaining employment in Ireland. The Deputy is referring to fair trade regulations, and if they can take into account the interests of the different people in countries involved with the negotiations, it would be a very important advance. Recently, as a consequence of difficulties in the Ukraine, certain parts of the Russian markets have been closed to Irish exporters, which is of concern to people working in companies that export to Russia. If trade access is closed for a country like Ireland, it would create an incredibly difficult issue.

There are always concerns relating to trade negotiations.

The Deputy must balance Ireland's interests as a trading country and the benefits of a bigger market for goods and services with changes in market regulation and the opening of markets that could adversely affect Ireland and the interests of its workers.

See this speech in context