EU Affairs Committee to hear business and critical perspectives on TTIP potential

Business representatives and a prominent European-based researcher will appear before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Union Affairs tomorrow to discuss ongoing negotiations between the European Union and the United States on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Agreement (TTIP).

4 June 2014



Dr Werner Raza of the Austrian Foundation for Development Research, Simon McKeever of the Irish Exporters Association (IEA) and Pat Ivory of Ibec will address the Committee. The meeting follows Committee engagement last week with Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD on the Irish Government’s perspective on the talks.

Chairman of the Committee Dominic Hannigan TD says: “The Committee looks forward to the opportunity to hear the views of Irish business on TTIP. Simon McKeever of the IEA and Pat Ivory of Ibec will outline to the Committee the voices of exporters and business on where the opportunities and challenges lie in the negotiations. In discussions last week with Minister Bruton, the Committee heard that Irish business stands to gain disproportionately from such an agreement because of the existing strong economic ties between Ireland and the US.

“The Austrian Foundation for Development Research describes itself as 'Austria's most important research and information centre on development cooperation and development policy'. Dr Raza Werner led research into a report which argues that the potential gains being put forward by proponents of TTIP are not only overly optimistic, but that risks are consequently being ignored.

"Committee Members look forward to examining these diverse perspectives at tomorrow’s meeting.”

The meeting takes place tomorrow Thursday 5 July at 2 pm in Committee Room 3, LH 2000. Public proceedings can be viewed online here.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the move, through the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.

Media enquiries to:

Paul Hand,

Communications Unit,

Houses of the Oireachtas,

Leinster House,

Dublin 2

P: +3531 618 4484

M: +353 87 694 9926

Committee Membership

Deputies: Eric Byrne, Seán Crowe, Timmy Dooley, Bernard J. Durkan, John Halligan, Dominic Hannigan (Chair), Seán Kyne, Dara Murphy (Vice-Chair) and Joe O’Reilly

Senators: Colm Burke, Aideen Hayden, Terry Leyden, Catherine Noone and Kathryn Reilly