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

Perhaps that can be extended because I have been needlessly interrupted by the Acting Chairman.

The European Council called on the EU to make every effort to successfully conclude TTIP negotiations in 2015. The rush to complete this agreement is unprecedented. A massive tide of popular opinion is turning against TTIP across Europe. Is that why the European Council called for the EU to hurriedly finish negotiations? It is happening in the dark, as there is no transparency. The rush to finish it will create a further lack of transparency. The Taoiseach is shaking his head but the European Ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly, made a recommendation on 7 January 2015 that there should be greater public access to key TTIP negotiating documents. In response to a question raised by Sinn Féin in the European Parliament yesterday, the Commission stated that documents setting out the position of the EU on key aspects of the TTIP negotiations, such as public procurement, will not be made public. Is the Taoiseach not concerned that the European Commission is ignoring the Ombudsman's advice? The simple fact of the matter is that the European public have a fundamental right to access those documents, to know what deals the European Commission is making on our behalf and what lobby groups have the inside track on these negotiations.

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