Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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414. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will list, in tabular form, the representations received by him, his Department and his Department’s Ministers of State, on the European Union-United States of America Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership or any of the other names by which these negotiations have been known; if he will provide a full list of the persons and organisations from whom these representations came; the number of meetings he, his ministerial colleagues or his Department officials have had with interested parties regarding it; with whom they were held and the date on which they took place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22464/15]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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According to my Department’s records, since the EU Council’s decision in June 2013 to start negotiations with the US on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), 586 representations on TTIP have been received, 566 of which were from private citizens. The remainder were from organisations including trade unions’ representatives, county councils, the Irish Farmers Association, the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Organisation, Chambers Ireland, the American Chamber of Commerce, European Movement Ireland, Faith in Action, Ash Ireland, Peoples Movement Campaign Against TTIP, the Irish Recorded Music Association, the Future We Need, the Irish Cancer Society, the Young Friends of the Earth, and the European Filmmakers.

As the issue of the negotiations on a possible trade agreement between the EU and the US is discussed on an ongoing basis, it would not be possible to provide the dates and details of all meetings that take place. I regularly meet the EU Commissioner for Trade, Cecilia Malmström, and hosted her visit to Ireland on 27 March last when she also took the opportunity to meet with the Joint Oireachtas Committee on EU Affairs. I also meet regularly with fellow EU trade ministers.

I have met three times with the US Trade Representative, Mike Froman, in March 2013, just before he was appointed as USTR, in April 2013, when he came to Dublin at my invitation to the informal meeting of EU trade ministers during Ireland’s Presidency, and in October 2014, during a trade mission to the US.

I frequently engage with Oireachtas Committees and individual Oireachtas members. I met with Irish Members of the European Parliament on 28 May. I have been invited to attend a special joint session on 23 June of three Joint Oireachtas Committees: Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Agriculture Food and the Marine, and EU Affairs, meeting in single session, to discuss TTIP.

I have hosted two seminars in Dublin Castle on TTIP, in June 2014 and in March 2015, to which Oireachtas members, all Irish MEPs, and business, trade unions and farm representative groups were invited. I have participated in two round table discussions at the European Parliament Dublin office, one in December 2014, and the other, which took place on 26 May.

Meetings at official level take place mostly between other officials. My officials regularly meet EU Commission, Council and Parliament officials, as well as officials from other EU Member States. Officials of my Department convene regular meetings of officials of other departments and agencies. Other official level meetings that take place are with stakeholders including business, workers, farming and NGO interest groups. The opportunity was provided recently to an NGO umbrella group called Uplift to meet with the interdepartmental group of officials. Official level briefing sessions have been held for Oireachtas members and their advisors, and Members of the European Parliament and their advisors.