Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan has slammed the government for recklessly trying to fully ratify the CETA deal, regardless of the consequences.
The Dublin MEP said:
“The statement from Simon Harris that he will look to accelerate the full ratification of CETA is shocking.
“They are using uncertainty created by Donald Trump to ram this through, going as far as scrapping any chance for TDs to scrutinise this legislation.
“The bottom line is that we already enjoy free trade with Canada because of the parts of the deal that are already in effect.
“The only part of the deal that hasn’t been ratified are the private investor or ‘corporate courts’.
“If the deal is fully ratified, then it means big corporations can use these courts to sue Ireland for any laws we may pass that could damage their own private profits.
“This means that even the vulture funds, who are driving the housing crisis in Dublin, could sue Ireland if we tried to improve laws here to better protect renters.
“These courts have already paid out more than $100 million to investors through these cases – that’s the position that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are hell bent on putting us in.
“Simon Harris, and the rest of the government need to realise the danger of what they’re doing and scrap this reckless move now.”
