Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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419. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his position on the EU Canada Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement; when it is intended that Ireland will ratify the agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46788/24]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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The global economy is changing in ways that is making international trade more important than ever before. Conversely, the geopolitical landscape in which we operate is increasingly challenging. As a small, open economy, Ireland fully supports balanced international trade that seeks to meet the geopolitical challenges we face.

Canada has proven to be an increasingly significant market for Irish exporters since the provisional ratification of CETA in 2017. Our objective remains in building on our strong trade relations with Canada in order to provide opportunities to help Irish based companies, and SMEs in particular, to increase their market diversification and generate prosperity through trade.

The Government remains committed to the ratification of CETA in line with the Supreme Court judgement. Ratifying CETA is firmly in the interests of workers, taxpayers and businesses in rural and urban Ireland. Hundreds of thousands of jobs are dependent on Ireland being open to trade and it is important that Ireland continue to champion open, rules based and sustainable trade relations with our partners in Canada but also around the world.

However, as the Deputy will be aware, ratification of CETA is a highly complicated legislative area that requires careful consideration to ensure that we follow the correct path towards ratification. In that regard, the Government, along with the Attorney General’s Office, is actively engaged in work that, once finalised, will allow Ireland to fully ratify CETA and realise the full benefits that arise from the agreement's full entry into force.