Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Acting Chairman. I thank my colleagues in the Seanad for their contributions, observations and suggestions. This is an unprecedented period in terms of the economic challenges the country faces. There has probably been nothing equivalent to it since the foundation of the State. It is that significant. I am on record as having said there is no upside for Ireland Inc. There may be localised victories but, overall, it is a real question of damage limitation. That is an extremely uncomfortable reality and for an industry like the agrifood sector, which has its tentacles spread into every corner of rural Ireland, where in many areas there are not real alternative forms of employment available, it is a challenge to protect the industry in that context. Our position is best served by remaining within the European Union and in remaining within the European Union we have pooled our sovereignty in respect of negotiations on trade agreements. I want to take up the point raised by Senators Mac Lochlainn, Higgins and Richmond on that area.

In terms of the commentary on trade in these Houses, there have always been naysayers in respect of trade deals we have concluded. However, with the benefit of hindsight we have seen that, on balance, the trade deals have been beneficial for Ireland Inc., Irish industry and, in particular, Irish agriculture. We need to bear in mind that we are an island nation of 4.5 million people with a capacity to feed multiples of that number, an ambition which translated in economic terms in 2015 to values of €10.8 billion in exports. An ambition in Food Wise 2025 is to reach almost €20 billion by 2020. If we do not trade, that industry dies, and it is not a question of trade under any circumstances. We need to remain vigilant on the detail and in the context of, say, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, TTIP, one of the things we have sought at Agriculture and Fisheries Council level is to ascertain the cumulative impact, particularly in the area of beef exports or imports into the European Union, as the case may be, of multiple trade deals.

The fundamental principle is that we need to trade. We need to get 90% of what we produce off the island. In principle, therefore, our starting position must be pro-trade, in favour of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, CETA, pro-TTIP and in favour of any other trade deal that, on balance, reflects our best interests. I believe that, on balance, CETA reflects our best interests, and I say that with all due respect to the vote in this House. I am surprised that some people who voted against that trade deal would now purport to articulate the interests of the Irish agriculture sector. It is an extraordinary contraposition to take because, on balance, anybody who has looked at this from the perspective of Irish agriculture would undoubtedly conclude that the interests of Irish agriculture are best served by CETA. The Senators should not take my word for that. They should ask the people in the broader agriculture-agrifood industry what they think about it.

We do not serve ourselves well in terms of all the public commentary on trade and the level of secrecy, which Senator Richmond referred to, is counterproductive and fuels a conspiracy theory that this is big business.