Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements
Dail Éireann — 2026-04-15
============================================================

Micheál Martin (FF), Cork South-Central

I just want to make one important point. Deputy Martin Daly referred to us being a small trading nation. We need to export what we produce and make. I gave the figures earlier. What was interesting was that I spoke to Prime Minister Mark Carney yesterday. In the context of there being polarisation between two major powers, China and the US, there is now a growing movement from the European Union, Canada, Australia and other like-minded powers with similar values, rooted in multilateralism, to come closer together. I welcome Canada's pivot to Europe. Under our Presidency, we are going to advance that relationship with Canada and the European Union. That is why Deputies in the House should vote for the CETA trade deal, which will create additional jobs for Irish people. It has already created additional jobs for Irish people, and there has been about a 30% increase in exports for Irish companies. It beggars belief that people oppose it.
I apologise, but I did not get Deputy Ó Murchú in. The war must end. The sooner that war in the Middle East ends, the better. What is happening in Lebanon is appalling. I welcome the talks, by the way, but Israel is undermining the Lebanese Government, which is the first government in a long time in Lebanon that has the capacity to get some order and structure in Lebanese society and the Lebanese economy. Hezbollah should cease firing rockets. It should stop. It is causing immense damage to its own people and has done so for far too long. Iran should stay out of Lebanon and stop being a malign force in Lebanon also.
In terms of the economy, the relationship and air connectivity, a Cork-Shanghai flight is, hopefully, coming. There is also the Dublin–Beijing flight and so on like that.

---

Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted.

Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-04-15/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:49+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-04-15