Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Most people in this House and in most arms of the community - labour, employers, agriculture workers and so on - support the concept of free trade. However, when there are issues to be addressed, we as an elected assembly have a responsibility to address them ensure we have as much support for trade agreements that are beneficial to an open economy like ours. That means having a proper debate in the House, ventilating real concerns in an open and honest way and finding solutions that will bring the bulk of our people with us. Even in advance of the provisional ratification, will the Taoiseach arrange for a proper debate in this House with a formal motion put by Government so that we can address the concerns outlined by various elements in society and build the biggest consensus we can build for an agreement that meets those concerns?

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