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Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 March 2018

Tuesday, 27 March 2018

Ceisteanna (14, 15, 16, 17)

Seán Haughey

Ceist:

14. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting with the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Mr. Xavier Bettel on 5 March 2018. [12785/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Micheál Martin

Ceist:

15. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting with the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Mr. Xavier Bettel and the issues that were discussed. [12787/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Brendan Howlin

Ceist:

16. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting with the Prime Minister of Luxembourg. [13984/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Mary Lou McDonald

Ceist:

17. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent engagement with the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Mr. Xavier Bettel, on 5 March 2018. [14008/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí ó Béal (32 píosaí cainte)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 to 17, inclusive, together.

I welcomed the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel, to Dublin on Monday 5 March. Our meeting was part of my programme of strategic engagement with other EU leaders, which is strengthening our relationships with key partners across the full range of issues on the EU's agenda.

Xavier Bettel knows Dublin very well from his time as a teenager studying English in Malahide and he was very pleased to be back here, this time as Prime Minister of his country.

Our discussions were friendly and constructive and focused on Brexit, financial services and taxation, as well as institutional issues relating to the future of Europe.

On Brexit, I set out our view on the draft withdrawal agreement and our preference to resolve issues relating to the Border through the future relationship, while emphasising the vital importance of the backstop as set out in the protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland. Prime Minister Bettel expressed his strong support for Ireland in the negotiations and the need to maintain the unity of the 27 states, not least so as to preserve the integrity of the Single Market.

The Prime Minister was accompanied on his visit by a business delegation from the financial services sector and in respect of the sector he was cautious on the Commission proposals for reforming the European system of financial supervision and the European supervisory agencies. He was also cautious about the Commission proposal on digital taxation, which was published on 21 March.

On EU institutional issues, Prime Minister Bettel was opposed to any move away from unanimity on tax matters and underlined the importance of having a Commissioner for each member state.

We agreed that we share many common positions and that we should work closely together on these and other issues in the period ahead.

I also raised Ireland’s candidature for a seat on the UN Security Council for the 2021-2022 term and our interest in participating in the BeNeLuxA initiative on medicines.

Later that evening, I was pleased to be able to host a dinner for the Prime Minister in Malahide Castle, which was attended by senior political and business representatives.

We have about eight minutes left for this question. In order that everyone is heard, I propose that we have one minute each, not on this round but for supplementary questions.

The support of the Prime Minister of Luxembourg for Ireland's position in the Brexit negotiations is welcome. I note he is supporting our opposition to the Commission's proposal for a digital tax along with Belgium, Cyprus, Hungary, Malta and the Netherlands, according to media reports. I also not that the Taoiseach and Prime Minister discussed the post-Brexit future of Europe. The UK leaving the European Union will undoubtedly have all sorts of consequences. Ireland is losing an ally on many issues and could begin to feel isolated as a result.

The Taoiseach received a little slap on the wrist in yesterday's editorial in The Irish Times. It stated:

Brexit will require the biggest strategic-cultural shift in Ireland’s foreign relations in half a century. The Government has yet to show that it grasps that.

I am sure the Taoiseach is quaking in his boots on the back of that. New alliances are needed on many issues, particularly in respect of the smaller states. These include areas such as farm subsidies, security and defence, corporate taxation, eurozone integration -----

-----and EU integration generally. Can the Taoiseach tell us how we are we doing in forging these new alliances on these issues in the post-Brexit new Europe? I would appreciate a comprehensive response on this.

Over the last four years, I have regularly raised issues during Taoiseach's questions and European statements concerning the growing aggression towards Europe being shown by the Putin Government. While many in this House spend their time attacking the European Union, claiming that it is some dark military entity undermining us all, in reality the increasingly repressive Russian Government sees Europe as a danger because it adheres to principles of democracy and the rule of law. Under Vladimir Putin the Russian Government has decided that it wants to undermine democracy and the rule of law and has done this through a near permanent campaign which includes funding right and left wing extremism, disinformation, the invasion and partition of a neighbour, cyber warfare against European Union states, interference in a rising number of elections and assassinations of opponents. That is its record. Every time I have made those comments in the House, I have noted either the silence of others and the deference that parties such as Sinn Féin, Independents and others show to the Russian Federation. Notwithstanding that, I get the impression that when the Taoiseach went to last week's summit, he did so not anticipating the acts of solidarity that might follow the nerve agent attack on the UK.

Can the Taoiseach say why he not only blocked Deputy James Lawless's Bill but has also refused to give a commitment to take any concrete action to prevent Ireland being targeted with the type of online disinformation which has been seen throughout Europe?

Deputy Lawless has written to the Taoiseach who should reconsider his negativity towards that legislation with a view to facilitating its passage through the House. We will take amendments and so on, but it is an important Bill.

Deputy Joan Burton is next, for Deputy Brendan Howlin.

Luxembourg is one of the founding members of the European Union. Although it is much smaller than Ireland, it is very much aligned with Ireland on various small country issues, particularly on services and certain aspects around taxation. The Irish Examiner reported that the Prime Minister had commented on the 12.5% corporation tax rate in Ireland but also compared that with the 45% rate of tax on workers. In view of the changes in the economy it is difficult to see where tax structures are going.

Did the Taoiseach discuss tax policies in relation to small countries and, in particular, did he have any discussion around a minimum effective rate of tax? Headline rates are fine but if a corporation is allowed to avoid effectively all of the headline rates, it may end up having avoided paying any tax, as is the case with ten big companies in Ireland.

I thank the Deputy. I must stop Deputy Burton because in fairness Deputy McDonald is next and there are only three minutes left. If the Deputy wants a response from the Taoiseach -----

The Acting Chairman did not stop anyone else.

-----she will need to bide her time. I call Deputy McDonald.

The Acting Chairman did not stop other colleagues, but how and ever.

The Acting Chairman did not. I watched very carefully.

It is just a woman thing.

I can actually read the clock-----

The Deputy is wasting down her own time now.

-----I am very gifted that way.

Acting Chairman, I think it is a woman thing, actually. It seems to happen to women Deputies more than men.

There is a clock here in front of me that dictates the time. If people want to waste other people's time that is fine.

I thank the Acting Chairman. We can read the clock. I am numerate, you know.

I want to place on record that far from being deferential to the Putin regime, I recognise its anti-democratic and authoritarian nature. I have no issue putting that on record. However, the issue at play in the actions taken by Government are not about Russia, in the first instance, they are about Ireland and Ireland's policy stance and particularly our position as a militarily neutral state.

That is what this is about and Deputies are well aware of it. Did the Taoiseach raise with the Prime Minister of Luxembourg the issue of the backstop and his stated intention and desire to have agreement on the British proposal on that matter as regards avoiding a hard border in Ireland and protecting the Good Friday Agreement? Did he raise that matter with the Prime Minister and has he lobbied other Heads of Government on it?

First, I certainly did discuss the backstop. Prime Minister Bettel is 100% behind us on this matter, as is the Government of Luxembourg. The Deputy may even have heard President Tusk's speech two or three days later. I cannot really remember when he met me, it might have been a week later. He pointed out in his speech that the first issue Xavier Bettel raised with him was Ireland. He did not raise matters about Luxembourg first, but matters about Ireland. That is significant. Once again, I want to put on the record that when we talk about the backstop, backstop means backstop. If we can find a better solution which creates a new trading arrangement between the UK and EU that is so similar to what we have now that it negates the need for a backstop at all, I would be totally for that solution. As I have said many times, I do not want to see a border or barriers to trade between Dublin and Holyhead or between Larne and Stranraer any more than I want to see them between Newry and Dundalk. If we can solve this problem on a UK and EU-wide basis, it would be all the better. That is why backstop means backstop. It is not our preferred solution. It is exactly what it says on the tin, which is backstop.

In a previous debate, I outlined some of the flaws which the experts and officials in this area have identified with Deputy Lawless's Bill. If it is useful for the Deputy to have a direct engagement with the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Denis Naughten, or the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Flanagan, I would be happy to facilitate that. If the Bill can be improved and made workable, I see absolutely no reason why we cannot work on it together.

I have spoken to the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Jim Daly, and asked him to engage directly with Deputy Browne on the mental health Bill, which we are all keen to progress very quickly. Just on-----

Is our time up?

I will give the Taoiseach three or four seconds.

I am afraid I cannot answer in three or four seconds.

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