Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Very well. According to the IMD world competitiveness ranking, Ireland is the third most competitive country in the EU. As the Deputy knows, there has been a great deal of investment through Enterprise Ireland that encourages companies to invest in innovation and to look at new ways of doing things. This Friday, I will attend a seminar on how we can increase productivity in our small and medium-sized enterprises and how to make them more competitive. The Deputy is welcome to come to the seminar, which is the third pillar of a whole-of-Government initiative, Future Jobs Ireland, the aim of which is to future-proof this economy to ensure we do not repeat the mistakes of the past.

A number of climate change and sustainability safeguards are built into the agreement, as outlined. The detailed chapter in the agreement on sustainable development goals recognises the need to address the urgent threat of climate change and the role of trade in that regard. It also underscores how important it is for both parties to implement the provisions of the Paris Agreement and emphasises the development of trade between Europe and South America as regions in a way that is conducive to decent work for everyone, including women and young people. Each party recognises the importance of core labour standards, as defined by International Labour Organization conventions.

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