Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will be brief. I welcome the Minister of State and thank him for his speech. What is the Government's intention on protecting farmers the context of his reference to the transatlantic trade and investment partnership? In light of the recent trade deal with Canada, there is significant concern that the EU's trade agreements with the US may very well leave Irish farmers in a worse position. I can see the positive aspects of promoting trade, and the Minister of State mentioned the billions of euro in value to the EU, but it is also important to remember Ireland's particular local interests. I would have been grateful for a specific reference to a commitment to protecting the interests of our farmers.

We saw the best and the worst of the European Union and the European Parliament in recent days. Today we have the good news about the European Parliament adopting updated rules on the protection of consumer rights for air passengers, including compensation, relaxation of baggage rules when there are long delays or cancellations, allowing passengers to use the return part of their ticket even if they did not use the outward leg of their journey and so on. I welcome the EU's initiatives in this area. The EU does seek to protect consumers, often in the face of unscrupulous practices of big business. The European Parliament has indeed been a forum for such considerations. As an island nation, Irish citizens are particularly vulnerable to sharp practice by certain airlines, and I would like to know if the Government is supportive of such initiatives at EU level on the side of the consumer.

On the negative side, we saw the Lunacek report which came out today. The EU rightly has set out to combat intolerance and homophobia, although I do not think the intolerance and homophobia party would get many votes anyway, nor should it deserve to do so. However, under the guise of promoting common values, the EU often undermines - in the Lunacek report it proposes undermining - member state autonomy in areas that are of member state competence. An example is education, where the report proposes the mutual recognition of civil papers and education programmes, which perhaps could be better described as re-education programmes. This runs the risk of the likes of well funded organisations like ILGA Europe and other well researched insiders on the NGO scene getting money from the EU in the first instance, then making recommendations back to the EU. Where is the EU money for organisations that would try to promote the cause of marriage as necessary for the upbringing of children? In setting out to protect minorities, the EU often ends up running the risk of discriminating against other minorities and closing down free speech. That is a very relevant consideration in recent days here in Ireland, given the discussion we have had about allegations of homophobia being thrown around the place. I am concerned about the insiders in the EU who tend to be well funded, who adopt bogus methodologies and who seek to undermine member states' competence in areas like education, which ought to be sovereign matters for member states. That is a big concern I have about the EU, and I would like to see the Government and Irish MEPs taking a much stronger stand in that area.