Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan has urged the Taoiseach to pull back from fully ratifying the CETA deal, which would leave Ireland exposed to corporate courts.
Speaking as the Taoiseach travelled to Canada to meet the Canadian Prime Minister, the Dublin MEP said:
“The CETA deal will likely be one of the issues discussed when Micheál Martin meets with Mark Carney today.
“This meeting must not be a rubber stamping of the full ratification of CETA.
“The deal is provisionally applied, with all trade elements already happening.
“Allowing corporate courts to operate in Ireland is the only part of the deal that hasn’t been ratified as it was rightly blocked by the supreme court.
“Canadian Exports to the EU have increased 25% since Trump took office – this further highlights that these courts are totally unnecessary.
“Yet, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have cynically used the excuse of uncertainty created by Donald Trump as a smokescreen to bring in these private investor courts.
“These courts are only open to big corporations, and it gives them the power to sue countries for what they call ‘loss of profit’.
“This will only make it harder to deliver on housing, climate and workers’ rights, even giving vulture funds, who drive the housing crisis, the power to sue Ireland if we tried to improve rental laws here.
“The government need to urgently change course before they make a terrible mistake and leave us at the mercy of these courts.
“There is nothing to be gained by fully implementing this deal”.
