Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 October 2013
172. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on his meeting with Secretary General of the OECD, Mr. Angel Gurría, during his visit to Dublin on the 12 September 2013. [39065/13]
View answer173. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he discussed the jobs crisis in his meeting with Mr. Angel Gurría, Secretary General of the OECD, during his visit to Dublin on 12 September 2013. [39066/13]
View answer174. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he discussed the issues of high unemployment and the increasing poverty levels here during his meeting with Mr. Angel Gurría, Secretary General of the OECD during his visit to Dublin on 12 September 2013. [39067/13]
View answer175. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he met with the Secretary General of the OECD when he was in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39133/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 172 to 175, inclusive, together.
The Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Mr. Angel Gurría, visited Dublin on 12 September. Mr. Gurría used the opportunity of his visit to launch the OECD’s Economic Survey of Ireland, a biennial assessment of this country’s economic performance and prospects. I welcome the analysis contained in the Survey, with its focus on tackling youth unemployment, in particular, and its consideration of how Ireland can best build a knowledge-based economy. I am confident it will assist the Government in planning the next steps of our economic recovery. Mr. Gurría also had a number of other engagements during his time in Dublin. In addition to meetings with me and with the Taoiseach, the Secretary General met with Ministers Bruton and Burton and also participated in a round-table with the Irish Business and Employers Confederation and visited the Digital Skills Academy.
My own discussions with Mr. Gurría were open and constructive. I thanked him for the OECD’s valuable contribution to the formation of economic and social policy in Ireland, especially in the current context of our imminent exit from the Troika programme and the upcoming budget in October. I also outlined some of the challenges we are still facing and the need for the Government to build on progress already achieved.
I am pleased to report that Mr. Gurría was positive in his assessment of our economic prospects. His view was that Ireland has firmly returned to growth mode and that we can expect stronger figures in 2014 as the external environment continues to improve. He felt that we were beginning to see the benefits of difficult policy decisions already made and that our return to the financial markets would be a significant boost, both domestically and for the EU as a whole. He also pledged the OECD’s continuing assistance in the time ahead.
Mr. Gurría was complimentary too about the achievements of the Irish EU Presidency, including agreement on the Youth Guarantee. I described the challenges we face in reducing the unacceptably high level of unemployment in Ireland and some of the measures we have taken to tackle the problem, which have recently begun to bear fruit. I welcomed the OECD’s work underway in drawing up an Irish Youth Employment Action Plan – and said that we look forward to drawing on that document in due course as a source of policy ideas and international best practice. Mr Gurría also updated me on the important work the OECD is undertaking on taxation, and in particular on Base Erosion and Profit Sharing (BEPS). We will continue to support and constructively engage with the OECD in this important project.
It is clear to me, after Mr. Gurría’s successful visit and our open exchanges with him about Ireland’s economic recovery, that we only stand to benefit from continued active engagement with the OECD. I will encourage further cooperation with the organisation in the years ahead and stress the need for us to leverage their considerable expertise and experience to Ireland’s best advantage.
