- Corrib Gas operators Vermilion previously threatened to use investor courts to sue France over climate law -

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan has yet again used his position in Government to help oil and gas companies, this time by pushing for the ratification of the CETA trade deal [1], according to environmental campaign group Gluaiseacht.

In his first stint as Minister for Energy a decade ago, Eamon Ryan, despite being a high-profile opponent of the Corrib Gas development before entering Government, signed off on various authorisations for the project during his term in Government [2, 3].

In recent months, intense lobbying in particular by the Ireland Canada Business Association (ICBA), has seen Eamon Ryan convert from opposing CETA to supporting the trade deal [4]. The ICBA is a trade association for Canadian businesses in Ireland and includes 2 of the 3 Corrib Gas partners, Vermilion Energy and Nephin Energy. Among the other ICBA members is Irving Oil which owns Ireland’s only oil refinery.