People are getting used to the two-faced betrayal from this Government, especially when it comes to EU trade deals designed to prioritise private profit over human rights and justice. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael TDs go on local radio saying one thing and then come in here and vote for the opposite. The hypocrisy damages public trust in politics and erodes Irish sovereignty and democratic accountability. This Bill is a perfect example. In 2023, an Oireachtas committee, the controlling Government majority on which included Fine Gael's Barry Ward and Fianna Fáil's Aindrias Moynihan and Pádraig O'Sullivan, agreed a report that said CETA should be put to a referendum. Those same TDs will line up in here later to vote for the opposite. They will support a treaty they have acknowledged would give big business the power to sue Ireland if we take any action that harms their profits in a courts system ordinary people have no access to. Leading Irish judges have called this neither constitutional nor democratic but the Taoiseach and Tánaiste could not care less. Cuirfidh CETA an tacaíocht agus aon tacaíocht Stáit don Ghaeltacht i mbaol. Ní hiad sin mo chuid tuairimí pearsanta ach tuairimí traspháirtí an chomhchoiste Gaeilge agus Gaeltachta, bunaithe ar iniúchadh domhain a rinne an coiste sin ar impleachtaí CETA maidir leis an nGaeilge agus an Ghaeltacht. Dá bhféadfadh Ceanada nó chomhlacht i gCeanada a léiriú go mbeadh drochthionchar ag deontas nó ar pholasaí an Stáit i dtaca le cur chun cinn na Gaeilge nó na Gaeltachta ar thionscadal dá chuid nó ar a chuid easpórtálaithe, is cosúil go mbeadh cás acu faoin gcomhaontas seo. Dá mbeadh comhlachtaí i gCeanada atá ag tuilleadh brabús de thoradh ar smacht a bheith acu ar sholáthar tithíochta, seans go gcuirfeadh siadsan i gcoinne ról Údarás na Gaeltachta san earnáil sin. Mar a dúirt an Breitheamh Hogan “Is féidir rialuithe dá leithéid a shamhlú réimsí ar nós rialtán pleanála, zónáil talún, i gceadúnú acmhainní mianracha, cáin nó rialú cíos”. Mar an gcéanna, seans, mar shampla, dá nglacfadh an t-údarás ról níos láidre ag tacú le fuinneamh in-athnuaite amach ón chósta, nó leis an iascaireacht, go mbeadh cás ann inár gcoinne tógtha ag Ceanada. Cad faoi dá mbeadh an Rialtas ag iarraidh coinníollacha Gaeilge a cheangail le soláthar seirbhísí ag comhlachtaí móra príobháideacha sa Ghaeltacht nó dá mbeadh spéis aige i bpacáistiú táirgí dátheangacha sna siopaí nó céatadán riachtanach Gaeilge a chur ar ábhar, ar cheol ar raidió, nó fiú ar sheirbhísí srutha, rudaí atá i bhfeidhm i gCeanada cheana féin? Bheadh dualgas ar an Stát seo aon drochéifeachtaí léirithe ag na comhlachtaí ábhartha a laghdú, rud a chuirfeadh costas ar an Stát agus a chuirfeadh brú ar an Rialtas gan beart mar sin a dhéanamh sa chéad áit, nó tarraingt siar uathu, is é sin, ó ghníomhaireachtaí dearfacha ar son na Gaeilge nó ar son na Gaeltachta. Níl anseo ach roinnt samplaí de pholasaí atá uaillmhianach ach indéanta. Níor chóir go mbeadh an Rialtas reatha ag cur bac roimh rialtais sa todhchaí gníomh níos uaillmhianaí a ghlacadh maidir leis an nGaeltacht agus an Ghaeilge. Is é sin an fáth gur thug Comhaltaí an Rialtais reatha comhairle sa choiste Gaeilge gan glacadh le CETA gan reifreann, i measc na deich moltaí a bhí leagtha síos sa tuarascáil chuimsitheach a cuireadh faoi bhráid an Rialtais agus faoi bhráid na Dála seo. Dúirt an Breitheamh Charleton gurb ionainn an chomhaontas agus “neamhaird shoiléir ar an mBunreacht.” Dúirt sé arís ansin go ndéanfadh an comhaontas “sárú ar chumhachtaí eisiacha reachtacha an Oireachtais’. The Dáil has been asked to scrap the democratic law-making process of the Oireachtas in pursuing CETA in particular. The Supreme Court judge, Mr. Justice Hogan, stated: “It is also not fanciful to suppose that such a ruling from a CETA Tribunal could curtail the State’s capacity to legislate in accordance with its own democratic and constitutional framework”. We know this treaty is unequal. A quick glance at Article 7.7 shows that Canada's cultural subsidies get protections that are not afforded to us. Mr. Justice Dunne said that it is necessary to have CETA ratified by the people. Of course, it could be rejected by the people. Hopefully, it will be, and we will have a referendum. Mr. Justice Charleton's words on CETA would send a chill down every spine in this Dáil, if Members listened. There is no limit, no democratic participation, no control and no appeal. Níor chóir glacadh leis an mBille seo.

Sentiment score: -0.03