Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have a quick comment on this. The Minister might be able to clarify this today but she can get back to me if not. Fianna Fáil is clear on where it stands on CETA. We support it and think the upside to the trade deal will be very beneficial to our country in the main.

People and groups are voicing concern and opposition to CETA and to aspects of the agreement. We had a briefing at the Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation by some officials from the Minister's Department. I asked them to detail and outline, following the consultation exercise that they undertook with stakeholder groups, the level of opposition and concern that was expressed. The response from the Minister's officials was that it was minimal. If I am not incorrect, they said that no opposition was expressed to them. I have subsequently met with other groups which are expressing opposition, including farming representative groups and those types of organisation. I ask the Minister to double-check with her Department on the level of consultation that it has undertaken with various stakeholder groups and to gauge exactly what I just outlined there.

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