Bill to clear way for Canada trade deal
The Government has approved changes to arbitration legislation that will facilitate Ireland’s ratification of an EU trade deal with Canada.
In 2022, the Supreme Court ruled that Ireland could not ratify the EU–Canada Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) unless legislative changes were made.
The Supreme Court challenge, brought by former Green Party TD Patrick Costello, centred on the role of a tribunal system set up under the deal to settle disputes between investors and states.
Investment protection
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Harris has now received approval for changes to be made to the .
The Tánaiste described CETA as “an important part of Ireland’s diversification story, particularly post-Brexit and against the volatility of US tariffs and the uncertainty in the global trading environment”.
The Arbitration (Amendment) Bill 2025 will propose the amendments to the 2010 act needed to allow for the ratification of CETA and other similar trade deals with third countries that included investment-protection provisions – including Singapore, Vietnam, Chile and Mexico.