Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have previously made my position crystal clear. I have asked the Minister if she thinks we need to hold a referendum, but she has not answered that question. It is vitally important that elected representatives in Ireland have the opportunity to scrutinise this trade deal and debate in the Dáil the pros and cons. On numerous occasions I have called for a debate to be held on the CETA, yet the Government continues to ignore the issue. Sinn Féin has serious concerns about aspects of the deal and believes parts of it will have a negative impact on Irish SMEs and the farming community, in particular. Legal advice obtained by my colleague, Matt Carthy, MEP, has indicated that the investment court system contained in the CETA is not compliant with the Constitution. The approach of implementing first and debating later is a drastic departure from normal democratic principles. The only conclusion to which I can come as to why the Government will not facilitate a debate on this topic is that the deficiencies in the agreement will be highlighted by Opposition parties, including us. The Minister has not answered my questions. I again ask her to outline a date for when the agreement will be debated in the Dáil.

See this speech in context