Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is very timely to have the witnesses here today because we are becoming increasingly aware of the implications of Brexit which certainly were not dealt with before the referendum was held in the UK. Increasingly, we are seeing that more and more areas are affected. It is good that we are looking at the humanitarian aid aspect. When I had my few minutes to speak during the Brexit debate on Tuesday, I made a couple of those points. There is no doubt that humanitarian aid is under threat, including in relation to it being diverted towards migrant control, which is the way I would put it. There are questions around the EU's development fund and the trust fund and the way they are being used. The EU is now forging relations with countries with very dubious human rights issues in a way in which it would never have done in the past. We now have Brexit undermining things as well.

Under the last two Tory Governments in Britain, we saw an increasing privatisation of aid. It moved further away from being untied aid. I would like Ms Brennan's opinion on whether aid was connected more and more with private finance. When it comes to trade deals, Ireland has been a much stronger voice in its criticism of economic partnership agreements whereas the UK was not a lead on that aspect. I would like comments about how trade deals are now being considered in a way which is not respectful of human rights. There is an opening for the UK now that it is out of the EU, of which the EU has criticisms, to have a free-for-all in the trade deals it makes. Tensions are increasing. What are the witnesses' opinions on that?

Mr. McCaughey said we were seeing a growing consensus in Europe on transparency in tax. While Ireland has committed to country-by-country reporting, it has not committed to public country-by-country reporting. How can our voice be stronger on that here?

Some of the witnesses' organisations have British and European dimensions. Are they working on a collective voice on these issues? What is the importance of that?