Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

These questions were tabled approximately five months ago. The Ceann Comhairle noted the long time lag between tabling and discussing them. However, the Taoiseach has reduced by half the number of times he must deal with questions. Before his time, questions to the Taoiseach were taken twice a week. Whenever the Taoiseach misses a session because he happens to be missing on a Tuesday, as is sometimes understandable, the session is never rescheduled.

Fundamentally, the Taoiseach will agree that while ASEM summits do not achieve much directly, they provide an opportunity to meet leaders of many other countries. I presume many of the points of significance touched on at the summit will also have been touched on by the recent European Council meeting, on which we will have statements later. The ASEM process is becoming increasingly in-depth as a result of the sectoral sessions for Ministers. Will the Taoiseach indicate whether human rights were discussed at the summit and, if so, what was the consensus on same?

The issue of trade was discussed and was among the principal topics at a number of ministerial meetings. The push for a new trade agreement through the Doha Round appears to be gaining some momentum. Will the Taoiseach comment on that issue? What sense did he get from the summit that there may be a realistic possibility of the Doha Round gaining increased momentum? Where does Ireland stand on such trade negotiations and what are our aspirations in that regard?

There is a growing concern in society about the lack of debate on trade talks at the international and global level. There is a sense that they are being conducted in a manner that is detached from citizens. The proposed transatlantic trade and investment partnership, TTIP, between the United States and Europe is one example. Many of the issues being raised may not be fair or accurate in terms of what will or will not happen, particularly regarding the capacity of corporations to have recourse to international law that would trump the law of national states and food issues such as hormones in beef, genetically modified products and so forth. This detachment needs to be removed because there is little connection between much of what is taking place in global and European institutions and the daily lives of citizens in this country and other countries. This is a major issue and I ask the Taoiseach to indicate where he stands on it in the context of the discussions on trade at the ASEM Summit.

Was climate change discussed at the summit? One of the great consequences of the dramatic expansion of Asian economies, particularly the Chinese economy, has been a consequent impact on the quality of life in Asian countries arising from climate change and pollution, including air pollution. I read an article in the International Herald Tribuneabout an excellent documentary made by a Chinese citizen on the impact of economic expansion on the quality of life in China. Initially, the department of the environment in China welcomed the video and praised its author. My linguistic skills do not extend to pronouncing his name. In any case, the video was a significant event in China, one which is being viewed as part of a China spring in terms of environmental awareness and policy. More than 200 million people accessed the video online, which is an extraordinary number. According to the article, the Chinese authorities then decided to suppress the video. Some people believe there is a struggle under way within the Chinese Communist Party, with environmentalists in the department of the environment and other departments seeking to shift the debate from economic growth to one which considers other issues.

Economic growth affects the rest of the world in terms of the climate change agenda and quality of life issues. Did the summit discuss pollution and the relationship between economic growth and climate change? On a related human rights issue, is it not rather disturbing that, despite the video to which I referred being accessed by more than 200 million people, an instruction was issued to all social media and websites to cease facilitating people wishing to view it? This video clearly shows the impact the rapidly expanding economy is having in terms of quality of life, pollution and environmental issues. This impact is applicable across Asia and was also applicable in the West. We must also take our share of responsibility in terms of the earlier phases of economic growth and development in the West and their consequential impact on the environment.

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