The WTO - WTF?

cactus flower wrote:

Basically, Harney can privatise the entire health service under GATS and there is nothing that can be done about it. The GATS makes it difficult, if a government has not used the full extent of the General Exemption clause in Art. XIV, to defend the health service against privatisation/"for-profit" commercialisation. She must love it.

Is this a decision that has already been made? When would it have been made and would it have been first brought to the Dail? I intend to get the information on this, so anything you could tell me that would help me frame my questions would be really useful.

http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file23034.doc THis is a useful UK gov paper on the issues.

cactusflower, getting information on this has been difficult. Certainly, I have heard of no Dail debate on the implications of the GATS and seeking out information on the WTO web-site as to what the Irish government has committed under specific commitments on Schedule 8 (Health) has proven fruitless (so far). Hence my previous suggestion of getting a suitably intelligent opposition TD, if such there exists, to table a written PQ for Harney to answer. That could start fireworks in the Dail if the Opposition knew how to use the opportunity.

I would draw an analogy between the Institutions of Globalisation and Stocks. People do not understand them, are suspicious of them, cannot put a real value on them, do not understand them and suffer because of them. As a result people will ultimately vote to sever ties with them.