Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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38. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to explain in detail the ratification process in relation to the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22827/16]

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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My question is about the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, CETA, between Canada and the EU. Will the Dáil have the opportunity to debate this hugely important trade agreement and will we have a vote on it? I believe this agreement has major implications for workers' rights. Labour standards are not on this agenda. It also has major implications for public services and perhaps most worryingly it proposes to give privileged rights to foreign investors and corporations to sue states. Under CETA, foreign investors will have more rights than any other group in this State. Foreign investors will also be able to bring claims against regulations in the public interest that impact their investments.

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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This is just the introduction, Deputy.

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The question that was posed to me was to explain in detail the ratification process in relation to CETA and if I will make a statement on the matter. On 5 July 2016, the Commission published its proposals for signature, conclusion and provisional application of CETA, which are available on the EU Commission’s website. I ask that the public look at that website. Given the position taken by Ireland and other member states, I note that the commission has now decided to submit CETA to the council for decision as a mixed agreement. This means that the agreement contains provisions that fall under both EU and member state responsibility. It will be a matter for the Council and the European Parliament to decide on the signature and provisional application of CETA. Following a decision by the council with the consent of the Parliament, it will be possible to provisionally apply CETA. Its full entering into force will be subject to the conclusion by the EU, through a Council decision with the consent of the Parliament and by all member states through the relevant national ratification procedures. This means that the Oireachtas will be part of the final decision to ratify the agreement. That means that we will vote on it here in the Chamber. The process will require that I, as Minister, move a motion in the Dáil to ratify the agreement and that there will be a vote.

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister says that the agreement will be provisionally applied. I did not quite hear the date the Minister suggested. That basically means that it will be fully implemented before we debate it here in the Chamber. The Minister also said the agreement will have huge implications for Ireland and that it will be provisionally applied. I think-----

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I am really sorry but I cannot hear the Deputy.

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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I do not understand why the Minister cannot hear me.

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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I will give time if Deputy Quinlivan wishes to go over it again.

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I beg your pardon.

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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That is not a problem. I will go back to it. At the start of the Minister's contribution, she said that the agreement was provisionally applied. What I am saying is that means it is basically fully implemented. It is going to come back to the Dáil Chamber after it is fully implemented. Does the Minister agree that the agreement will have huge implications for Ireland? If it is provisionally applied already, what are we going to be debating?

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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What I said was that I note the commission has now decided to submit CETA to the Council for decision as a mixed agreement. This means that the agreement contains provisions that fall under both the EU and member state responsibility. It will be a matter for the Council and the European Parliament to decide on the signature and provisional application of CETA. Following a decision by the Council, with the consent of the Parliament, it will be possible, as the Deputy says, to apply CETA provisionally. However, I also said that the process will require that I, as Minister, move a motion in the Dáil to ratify the agreement and that there will be a vote in Dáil Éireann.

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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But it will be provisionally applied before that.

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Yes.

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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Which basically means it will be implemented.