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Green TDs Nessa Hourigan and Patrick Costello have told their party leaders that they will not back the government in a Dáil vote this week.
A short debate followed by a vote on the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) was scheduled for tomorrow in the Dáil.
CETA is a trade agreement reached between the EU and Canada that requires the backing of the parliaments of all EU member states to be fully operational.
So far it has been endorsed by 14 national parliaments.
While the deal won cabinet backing two weeks ago, it has run into difficulties before a planned vote.
The two Green TDs say they cannot vote in favor with Ms Hourigan insisting that her party had negotiated to keep CETA out of the government program.
However, government sources note that this program is committed to supporting EU agreements.
The matter will be discussed by the party’s government leaders later, but the vote is likely to be postponed.
People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett described the Government’s motion as sleight of hand at the end of Dáil’s term.
He said this was aimed at pushing forward a trade deal that has profound implications for the actions needed to address the climate crisis.
This opinion is shared by Sinn Féin and the Social Democrats.
Sinn Féin’s agriculture spokesperson has accused the government of trying to use the crisp Brexit negotiations as a cover to “sneak” into a vote on CETA.
Matt Carthy said a thorough analysis of the deal’s implications was necessary before any ratification vote is taken before the Oireachta.
CETA was a trade agreement reached between the EU and Canada in 2017.
It has been operating on an interim basis ever since and has cut tariffs and red tape, as € 72.3 billion worth of goods were traded between the EU and Canada in 2018 alone.
However, to give full effect to the deal, all EU national parliaments must vote to give it the green light.
This was supposed to happen tomorrow in the Dáil, but the vote will almost certainly be postponed due to unrest within the Green Party and among opposition parties.
Opponents of CETA say it allows large corporations to sue countries if regulations hinder those companies’ ability to trade.
Sinn Féin, the Social Democrats and Solidarity-PBP claim that this would jeopardize future legislation aimed at protecting public services and fighting climate change.
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