Grace O'Sullivan (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

EU trade ministers will meet in Luxembourg next Tuesday, 18 October to decide whether to support the provision application of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with Canada. Will the Leader ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor, if she has taken into account the motion passed in the Seanad on 5 October which called on the Government neither to agree to sign up to nor to authorise the provisional application of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada and the EU or any associated invocation of Article 218.5 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and, furthermore, to uphold Article 29.5.2° of the Constitution which states, "The State shall not be bound by any international agreement involving a charge upon public funds unless the terms of the agreement shall have been approved by Dáil Éireann." Will the passing of this motion influence her decision on signing the provisional application? As time is of the essence, is it possible to get a written response from the Minister before Tuesday next, 18 October?

If the Government is to ignore the decision of this House on matters of this level of importance, what exactly is the purpose of the Seanad? The Government is accountable to the Dáil - we know this - but democracy and sovereignty should be accountable in this House. Yesterday, we discussed and sent to Committee the Seanad Bill to improve the functioning and role of the Chamber in the Irish political system. Could the Government send a worse signal other than to disregard the motion passed the other week?