Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On the question of Dáil ratification, it is important that we wait to see the benefits of CETA coming into being before putting the agreement to the Dáil. Then we can have a fully informed, evidence based debate on the value of the agreement to Ireland. Reference was made to meat and worries about meat production.

I would like to refer to a letter sent from Meat Industry Ireland, which is under the stewardship of IBEC. While it urges "strict caution on the EU's approach to tariff-reduced or tariff-free meat import access as part of trade agreements", it supports "the ratification of the trade agreement between the EU and Canada". I remind the House that 14% of the Irish diaspora live in Canada. We have sought to ensure we can open trade with Canada as a response to Brexit, which is coming down the tracks. The Ministers of State, Deputies Eoghan Murphy and Pat Breen, and the Taoiseach have been to Canada. As I have said, I am leading a trade mission with really good Enterprise Ireland businesses and companies with the hope of winning more trade, more investment into Ireland and more jobs. I am not going to apologise. I think we are on the right route. I think this is the way to go.

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