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

A study into the first 12 years of the North American Free Trade Agreement found that more than 1 million jobs were lost in the US during that period, with millions of other people suffering a significant decline in wages and conditions. As assessment by the Centre for Economic Policy Research, which was financed by the European Commission, found that TTIP is likely to result in prolonged and substantial dislocation of EU workers. It suggested that 1.3 million EU workers and 715,000 US workers will be displaced. The Minister suggested that "job loss is a dynamic process". It is not a dynamic experience for an individual. We have seen examples of jobs in this State being lost en masse. It happened in the construction industry. When numbers are that large, it is practically impossible to fully reorient and retrain those individuals to work in new and developing areas of employment. That has not been the practical experience in this State so far. Our discussions with the trade directorate-general of the European Commission have shown us that it is not interested in attending to this problem. It has said that it is up to the national Parliaments and the Council to address this issue. I suppose I am looking for information on the practical steps that will be taken by the Government in advance of this displacement, which the Minister admits is likely to happen, to ensure it will not happen or, if it does happen, it will be dealt with.

See this speech in context