Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)

The inaccurate information was in the response to my reply. I did not have the opportunity to come back at that time. That is why I am following it up now. I would like to have a debate in the House. I hoped to deal with it through a Commencement matter but now I believe it requires a debate in the House because the decisions being made on this trade agreement are directly relevant to the positions Ireland has taken on international law.

This goes to the substantial issue. The reason for a renegotiation was that the European Court of Justice found that the agreement between the EU and Morocco was including the occupied territories of Western Sahara in relation to which Morocco did not have a mandate to sign trade agreements. The clear decision was that the Sahrawi people of Western Sahara would need to be consulted and that, implicitly or explicitly, any trade agreement should be to their benefit and it should be their decision.

The decision was made not to seek explicit permission, even though Ireland claims we want to see referendums and self-determination for the people of Western Sahara. However, it seems we made no push to say they should even have self-determination on this question of whether to have this new trade deal. The solution being put forward is extraordinary. It is that trade will intensify with the Western Sahara region, including with Moroccan settlers and Moroccan companies who are extracting resources from it. This is literally like responding in relation to the West Bank by saying there is a problem here in terms of the Palestinian people so we will intensify our trade with Israeli settlers. That is the direct comparison. Ireland has been clear that that is not in line with international law.

I want to know what Ireland is doing on the very comparable issue of Western Sahara. Rather than being fobbed off by being told it is still in the air, when we know it is not, I want to know what Ireland is saying in the room on this issue. I would like a debate on that, and a Minister to come into the House.