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Press release

Senator Mark Daly and Cllr Fiona O’Loughlin negotiating Fair Trade Status for Dáil and Seanad

{22nd February 4pm} Senator Mark Daly is arranging that the Houses of the Oireachtas will become one of the first “Fair Trade Only” Parliaments in the world. The announcement comes during Fair Trade Fortnight and follows on from the Programme for Government which has a commitment that 'Government departments will source goods on Fair Trade terms wherever possible’.

Senator Daly and Cllr Fiona O’Loughlin from Kildare are leading cross party support for this initiative, Green Party TDs Ciaran Cuffe, Mary White, Senator Dan Boyle, Fianna Fáil’s Barry Andrews and the Oireachtas Catering Manager are all instrumental in achieving this status.

Daly, who is Seanad Spokesperson on Overseas Development, said that he felt it was important that the Oireachtas become a Fair Trade parliament as “the Government has a duty and a responsibility to stand up for labour, environmental and human rights standards”. He continued on to say that “Bizarrely, the developed world gives developing world around $100 billion in aid each year but we cost them three times as much in protectionist trade policies”.

The criteria for a Fair Trade parliament are that 100% of the tea and coffee served in Leinster House are Fair Trade certified, that a resolution is passed in both houses supporting Fair Trade and that a Fair Trade breakfast is held for parliamentarians and staff each year during Fair trade Fortnight.

On the 27th February there will be a Fair Trade morning in Leinster House where free Fair Trade teas and coffees will be served and information pack on Fair Trade will be distributed to all staff and members.

Mr. Peter Gaynor, the Executive Director of Fairtrade Mark Ireland, believes that “The event in the Oireachtas next Wednesday morning is an opportunity to announce that the Oireachtas hopes to become a Fair Trade Parliament through converting all the main coffee and tea to Fair Trade; through having Private Members motions supporting Fair Trade in both the Dáil and Seanad chambers, and organising an event to support Fair Trade during Fair Trade Fortnight. This is a significant development in Ireland and internationally”.
 
Senator Daly commented that he is delighted that Houses of the Oireachtas “will soon be promoting the Fair Trade concept to a high degree and are showing their commitment to sustainability”. The expected move to Fair Trade shows that the there is a cross party agreement to make Fair Trade an integral part of the Ireland’s development policy.

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