Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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1265. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she has had any discussions with the Department for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation regarding the inclusion of education in the proposed transatlantic trade and investment partnership; if she has concerns regarding the negative impact that inclusion of education within this sphere would have on educational institutions here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33372/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The negotiations with the United States on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) are the most ambitious and broad based that the EU has ever undertaken. The breadth of the negotiations reflects the extensive benefits that could be won from any final agreement. However, when the EU Council agreed the negotiating directives to the Commission for these talks under last year's Irish presidency of the EU, it was unanimously agreed by all Ministers, and accepted by the Commission, that any agreement with the United States would not herald any lowering of standards that our citizens rightly value. This is an important consideration in how the EU conducts its negotiations.

The Commission is required to frequently consult with Member States during the course of the talks. The Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, which co-ordinates this issue from a national perspective, uses these opportunities to tell EU negotiators about what we want to achieve from the talks. In this context, that Department is co-ordinating with all Government Departments, including my Department, in the ongoing development of Ireland's trade policy position, to ensure that our best interests can be advocated to the EU Commission and included in the negotiations with the United States.

In relation to education, there is no proposal from the EU to further open up education services in the TTIP. Under Free Trade Agreements negotiated so far by the EU, member states are free to organise their educational policies, structures and standards as best suits their circumstances. This is especially important for Ireland as the high standard of our education is an essential and indispensable aspect of giving our students lifelong skills for successful careers in an innovation driven world.