Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 32: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his view of the status of the World Trade Talks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31920/06]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 64: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will report on the situation of the World Trade Organisation talks; his expectations for the next developments in relation to the possible resumption of talks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32057/06]

Michael Ahern (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 32 and 64 together.

I am disappointed that efforts, in Geneva, to advance the WTO Doha Trade negotiations were not successful and that the talks were suspended. I remain hopeful that the negotiations will be resumed in an effort to achieve a worthwhile and balanced agreement.

The European Union made very substantial offers on all of the issues under negotiation and could not have gone any further in its efforts to get agreement. The Government strongly supports a balanced and ambitious WTO agreement, one which takes into account the interests of all the participants, developing and developed countries, farmers and industrialists. A well-regulated global trading environment, with a strong WTO, is in everybody's interests and a small open economy like Ireland has much to gain from a well-ordered rules-based world trading system.