Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Tá mé ag déanamh ionadaíocht anseo ar son mo chomhghleacaí, an Teachta Breandán Mac Gabhann, mar ní féidir leis bheith i láthair. I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on this issue. Fianna Fáil is supportive of the aims to promote sustainable development, build a regional market among developing countries, eliminate poverty and develop a close trading and development partnership between the Caribbean and West African regions and the EU. We concur with these aims and recognise the potential for development for the benefit of both partners. It is not just the text of the agreements that is critical, however, it is their implementation and having proper mechanisms in place to review their workings is fundamental.

Flexibility is also important in the implementation of the agreements. We need to guarantee that there are safeguards in the agreements to ensure their fair implementation to suit the needs and capabilities of the European Union and Caribbean and West African countries. For example, the EU-West Africa economic partnership agreement will seek to facilitate EU food exports to the West African region, but what impact will this have on the ability of local agricultural interests, both farmers and producers, to engage with their local and regional markets?

Questions such as these are crucial as the eradication of global hunger is one of the cornerstones of Irish foreign policy. It is important that agreements do not fundamentally undermine our goal to eliminate hunger and poverty throughout the world. We have all seen the devastating impact of hunger, malnutrition and poverty so we must ensure that agreements do not hinder rather than help countries and that we do not create conditions that will have long-term negative impacts on these countries and will essentially undermine their progress, both economically and socially. We need assurances against these possible pitfalls.

It is clear to us that a worthwhile agreement should not be about displacement of local produce or industry which would, in the long term, continue to restrict overall growth in the local economy. We must be very cautious in that regard. For example, my colleague, Deputy Brendan Smith, raised this very issue last week in the committee. He noted that between 2004 and 2014, consumption of poultry meat in sub-Saharan Africa increased by a staggering 99%. However, local production grew by only 57%while imports from the EU grew by 209%. By 2014, imports of poultry meat accounted for 44% of sub-Saharan African consumption compared to less than 30% in 2014. The poultry sector is a very small one from a European Union point of view, although it is significant in some countries and in particular parts of this country, but it is a very important sector for so many impoverished farmers and producers in impoverished regions in the area.

My concern is that if Article 34 of the EPA is applied, which deals with the agrifood sector and the export of food, there is nothing to prevent EU poultry and dairy products flooding into countries that have signed the EPA in far greater volumes than they are at present. We have to monitor situations arising where there is increased consumption but the share of the market by local producers is in decline and the European Union is displacing local producers, which I am sure is not our objective. That is the type of issue on which we must keep a very close eye and ongoing reviews are necessary of the mechanisms and workings of the agreement.

If these EPAs are to be agreed, I will call on the Government to report back to the Oireachtas on a regular basis so we can monitor the impact they are having on the West African region. To say that local farmers and producers will be protected is not enough. I am calling on the Minister for Foreign Affairs to ensure at EU Council level that Article 34 is being applied cautiously and with flexibility so that local industries in West Africa are not destroyed. I am asking the Minister to report back to the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs regularly on this important matter. I cannot emphasise enough the need for flexibility and considerable oversight to ensure the spirit of the agreements is followed, with which all of us agree, in terms of trying to grow trade and improving the economic fortunes of people in less developed areas. It is very important that the mechanisms are put in place to do that.

I am sure the Minister and his colleagues in Government will share those views and I look forward to constantly monitoring these agreements if we are here in the future to ensure they have the desired effect.

See this speech in context