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A contentious vote on an EU-Canada free trade deal will be deferred until the New Year after two Green Party TDs indicated they would not vote with the Government on the issue.<\/p>\nA contentious vote on an EU-Canada free trade deal will be deferred until the New Year after two Green Party TDs indicated they would not vote with the Government on the issue.<\/p>\n
The Green Party sought a postponement of a planned debate and vote on the EU-Canada Strategic Partnership Agreement, known as Ceta, which had been due to go ahead on Tuesday \u2013 despite Green cabinet ministers agreeing to support the deal last month.<\/p>\n
A Government spokesman told The Irish Times on Monday night that the leaders of the coalition parties had discussed the issue and \u201creiterated their support for ratification\u201d, but had decided to reschedule the vote to January to allow for a \u201clonger and more considered debate\u201d.<\/p>\n
The motion to ratify Ceta was due to take place on Tuesday at 4pm.<\/p>\n
Green Party TDs Neasa Hourigan and Patrick Costello told the party leadership they would not back the motion.<\/p>\n
Mr Costello said delaying the motion was \u201cthe least we can do to address the issues\u201d.<\/p>\n
The Ceta trade deal between the EU and Canada removes most trade barriers on imports between both regions.<\/p>\n
It has been ratified by some EU member states, however it has faced opposition in Ireland.<\/p>\n
Critics of the deal have raised concerns over the investor court system, which will allow corporations to sue the Government for discriminatory practices and regulations that impact their profits.<\/p>\n
Opponents of the deal also say it could harm workers\u2019 rights and regulations brought in to tackle environmental problems.<\/p>\n
The Green Party has campaigned against the deal for years.<\/p>\n
Sinn F\u00e9in Senator Lynn Boylan had earlier on Monday accused the government of \u201csneaking through\u201d the ratification of the Ceta trade agreement.<\/p>\n
Speaking at Leinster House, she said: \u201cVoting to ratify Ceta would be massively damaging to any hopes of tackling the climate crisis in a fair way.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust 100 companies are responsible for 71 per cent of emissions.<\/p>\n
\u201cGovernments need to be challenging the power of corporations in order to fight the climate crisis.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis trade deal would hinder that.<\/p>\n
\u201cCeta would let companies sue the government, and Irish taxpayers, for billions if we brought in regulations to deal with all the environmental problems we face.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe consequence is that the burden of tackling climate change lands on ordinary people while corporations go on polluting as they please.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis trade agreement makes a mockery of a Just Transition and a Green New Deal.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt also threatens the Government\u2019s promise to ban fracked gas imports and puts in doubt the enactment of the climate emergency bill.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis trade agreement is from another era.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was written before the Paris Climate Agreement and doesn\u2019t reflect the scale of the climate crisis.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere can be no place for private investor courts.\u201d<\/p>\n