Given the very serious announcements last night, what mitigation measures are going to be put in place?

I agree that the priority must be to minimise the damage. A major amount of work will have to be done on that. In respect of support measures for impacted workers and sectors, will anything be done domestically? Will anything be done at EU level? I previously suggested that the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund should be repurposed to support specific sectors during this crisis. In the context of the differential in tariffs between the UK and the EU, of 10% and 20%, respectively, has modelling been done on the…

With regard to the EU response, I agree that it needs to be level-headed, and that negotiation is the way to go. I also accept as part of that there is the potential for further actions by the EU. It is not realistic to think that that will not be on the table if negotiations do not work. There is a particular risk for Ireland in terms of the differential trade tariffs between the EU and the UK. We could have a scenario where the EU is taking retaliatory action and the UK is not, which could make that gap even more…

The devastation that is happening in Gaza - the attacks on civilians and hospitals we are all appalled by - are being partially funded by the sale of these Israeli bonds. The head of Israel Bonds told investors that purchasing bonds was the best way to help Israel's war campaign. Ireland is a signatory to the Genocide Convention and under that convention, we are obliged to ensure that our State's institutions do not facilitate genocide. The Central Bank of Ireland is a State institution and by authorising the sale …

According to the head of Israel Bonds, these bonds are being used to fund their war campaign, which is genocide. That is a fact. The second fact is that Ireland is signed up to the Genocide Convention and we have obligations under that to ensure that none of our State institutions are operating in a way to facilitate genocide. We have those legal obligations so why will the Minister not act in line with those legal obligations under the convention to act to ensure our State institutions are not facilitating genocid…

It makes absolutely no sense at all to accommodate a much-needed special school in Belmayne in prefabs, next door to brand-new classrooms that are not yet in use and that were specifically designed for students with additional needs. Why should children with additional needs be accommodated in prefabs in substandard conditions when a much better option is available? There is a site available in the local area for a permanent special school. It is important that this building is prioritised and that, in the meantime…

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. He indicated that existing accommodation must be utilised. That is exactly what we proposed – to use the brand-new classrooms. He said that using the existing classrooms designed for students with additional needs would require repurposing and that there are technical issues involved. That would be nothing compared with the work that will have to be done on the prefabs. I have been in those prefabs. A huge amount of expenditure and repurposing would be required, and even…

The Government has spent years trying to convince religious orders to contribute to redress for the survivors of mother and baby homes. These efforts started in January 2021 when the then Minister, Roderic O'Gorman, first wrote to the orders saying they may wish to consider making a financial contribution to redress costs. His begging letters were ignored. In May 2023, the Government appointed former trade union official Sheila Nunan to negotiate with the orders. She was told to come back with a best and final offe…

I have not been asking for the Government to wait around in the context of a redress scheme; I am asking what it is going to do when it comes to going after these religious orders. This has been going on for years. We are talking about religious orders with assets worth hundreds of millions of euro, partly financed off the back of incarceration, forced labour, vaccine trials and forced adoptions. They have the resources to pay. Why is the State not vigorously pursuing these orders? Compare this with how the State t…

While inflation on many goods and services has abated compared to what we experienced from 2021 through 2023, it simply would not be correct to say that Ireland's cost-of-living crisis has gone away, as I am sure we all agree. Lower inflation rates do not mean prices are falling; they just mean prices are not rising quite as fast as they were previously. The period of severe inflation between 2021 and 2023 was experienced by a society that did not have much room to manoeuvre in the first place. Ireland was already …

Tomorrow, Donald Trump will take a wrecking ball to the world economy. His goal is clear and unambiguous, that being, to cause maximum damage. Yesterday, Trump said his tariffs would make his country go boom, which brought to mind the Hindenburg disaster because, as far as plans go, tariffs are up there with filling an airship with flammable gas. Tariffs are toxic to trade and economic growth and America will not be immune from this poison, which is why fears of a recession in the United States are growing. We are …

The Taoiseach just confirmed that trade with Canada is flourishing without the provisions of the investor court, so we can have strong trade without those provisions. To get back to the key point about supporting workers and sectors impacted by the announcements that will take place tomorrow and thereafter, are there plans at EU level to put in place supports? The European Globalisation Adjustment Fund was a successful support. Will it be repurposed? Will the Taoiseach ask and lobby for that to be repurposed? Will …

I agree with the points that have been made. I want to ask the Government about tariffs. I looked for time to be on the Dáil schedule this week to discuss tariffs. It is a huge issue that is going to impact on this country. Will the Chief Whip reconsider and actually put time on the schedule this week so that we can get an update from the Government on tariffs and have questions and answers with the responsible Ministers?

The delay in setting up committees is completely on the Government side. We have been waiting months for the Government to bring forward proposals to establish committees. It must bring forward those proposals to the Dáil reform committee for committees to be established. It should have been done months ago. We have been asking for this be done for this to be done. There is no excuse for delays. To be very clear, last week at the Business Committee the Social Democrats asked for time this week to debate tariffs. Th…

-----should answer the following questions. What influence will Michael Lowry have in the allocation of public money in the national development plan and the HSE capital plan? How will this influence be exercised? Will there be special treatment for requests from Michael Lowry? This is public money. We need transparency. The public has a right to know. The independence of the office of the Ceann Comhairle was the first on the chopping block as part of the Lowry deal but speaking rights quickly followed. Michael Low…

Donald Trump has called 2 April "Liberation Day" because it is the day he plans to launch a global economic war. Ireland will inevitably be impacted but the extent had been unclear. However, last night we learned that Donald Trump has pharmaceuticals in his cross hairs. He said, "... we love Ireland, but we're going to have that," referring to our pharma sector. Trump’s toxic love affair with the country could cost us dearly. Given that pharma comprises approximately €100 billion or 45% of our goods exports this is…

The Minister was crystal clear in the election that he was going to deliver tax cuts. He is now being crystal clear that they are off the table. We called him out on that during the election campaign that it was irresponsible and reckless.

I asked the Minister serious questions about the response on tariffs, which he has not answered. How the EU decides to retaliate to Trump’s tariffs will be critically important to Ireland. We are particularly exposed because we are a small open economy with huge levels of trade with the US. The Minister knows this. We are much more exposed than other countries. If the EU retaliation brings into the trade war industries and sectors important to Ireland and not already targeted by Trump, this will have a detrimental …

The Minister has not answered what I asked.

I have to take the Minister of State up on what he has just said, trying to imply somehow that the Social Democrats are not strong supporters of the European Union. We always have been, since our foundation.