Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank our guests for appearing before the committee and presenting at a very interesting time a very interesting report. My questions are fairly straightforward. In the context of the semester report how well is this country responding in comparison with our EU colleagues? Where do we lie in the pecking order? Are we categorised as reasonably good, very poor, room for improvement, failure to respond to previous admonitions or whatever the case may be?

Is the semester system working throughout Europe? Its predecessor did not work at all in the sense that the Lisbon Agenda was ignored for a ten-year period and when it was found that it was not working, it was too late. I presume that having reviews carried out through the semester process is a much better and more effective system. Is it working?

Taxation returns have seemed to vary from time to time recently. Has the ESRI looked at the possible causes for variations in tax returns under various headings and what does it indicate? There appears to be a lack of evidence as to what the corresponding problems are.

I ask about something that is very important at present, namely, Ireland's attractiveness to foreign direct investment. How is that likely to progress, given that we are in Brexit and are obviously a remaining and committed member of the European Union? Along with other members of the European Union, we will have access to emerging UK markets - for instance, to supply and demand in the UK. Will Ireland have an equal opportunity with other members of the European Union to have satisfactory trade agreements in the future?

Professor Barrett mentioned objective grounds and spreading the taxation net, with which we agree because having all the eggs in one basket was not a good idea. Have sufficient eggs been placed in sufficient baskets at present to prepare for any negativity that may arise in the wake of Brexit and the trade agreements to come about?

This is my last question, which the Vice Chairman will be pleased to know. Is the lack of water charges a negative as regards our compliance with the objectives set down in the semester? How does this country compare with other European countries?

We live in a time of considerable speculation. I believe 89% of Irish people have strongly supported the concept of continued membership of the European Union, which is very reassuring. To what extent will the European Union, as an entity, remain constant and supportive to the European Union member states in the context of negotiations to take place in the aftermath of Brexit and in the context of international trade agreements, things that are happening in the United States and various other countries, indicating a return to old-fashioned protectionism? How are we likely to fare in that context?