Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan has accused the government of yet another cynical stroke in their attempts to ratify the CETA trade deal.
The Dublin MEP spoke after Minister Neale Richmond said that the government would move to fully ratify the CETA trade deal, despite a majority of members of the EU affairs Oireachtas Committee expressing reservations in ratification
Boylan said:
“This latest cynical stroke from the government would be an absolute disaster.
“Minister Neale Richmond stated in a Newstalk interview that the government would move to fully implement the CETA trade deal in the coming weeks.
“Most of the CETA trade deal is already in effect, which scraps tariffs on trade between the EU and Canada.
“The one part that hasn’t yet been implemented is the corporate courts.
“These are courts that only big corporations can use, and that lets them sue countries for what they call ‘loss of profit’.
“In Ireland’s case, this could mean that vulture funds that own huge amounts of our private rental sector could sue the State if greater regulation of the rental sector was introduced.
“There is nothing to be gained from fully ratifying this trade deal when we already enjoy the benefits without this huge drawback.
“All that ratifying CETA does is expose the state to financial risk.
“It is blatant opportunism for the government to try and use the chaos of the Trump administration to ram through this deal.
“The government must do the right thing and pull back from this disastrous decision.”
