Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister might remember that when the agreement was going through the House I raised concerns in respect of this matter at the time. People said it was not a concern at all and so on. Clearly, the European Court of Justice has difficulties with the agreement. It involves the issue of consent. My concern is that unless we talk to those who represent the people of Western Sahara we will be going down the same road. My concern is that the Commission is trying to rebrand the same agreement.

Can the Minister confirm that the Government will block any attempts by the European Commission to negotiate exclusively with Morocco and ignore the only legitimate and UN recognised representatives of the people of Western Sahara mainly the Polisario Front? It seems obvious to me that the EU and the European Commission must speak to the Polisario Front urgently in order to find a viable solution and address the status of European companies and goods exported from Western Sahara. What different approach will Ireland be taking following the European Court of Justice judgment?

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