Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There are mechanisms set out which the Senator probably knows about. There is a domestic consultative panel, a joint civil society platform and a partners country domestic consultative mechanism, as I outlined in my reply. These have to be done publicly and openly. Where those start to breakdown obviously that triggers a reaction. It depends on the level and each case must be judged on its merits. By having agreement, by engaging with people and by forcing this iterative process, one delivers reform. What the Senator is advocating, which is that we refuse to have such an agreement, is that one steps back. Evidence shows that does not improve the human rights record, does not improve labour rights standards and does not improve environmental standards. It is a question of engaging.

Of course there is a judgment call as to when one triggers actions. It is not realistic to say that an X, Y or Z occurrence will lead to an automatic red card. That is not realistic. This is a process with civil society, trade unions, NGOs, intergovernmental and domestic consultative processes. By putting those in place one creates a momentum for the delivery of the change we all desire.

The Senator's desire for a checklist and qualifying that once one does something then it is gone, is not the approach that has been taken.