Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will start by commending the ESRI on its work on Brexit. It was one of the first organisations to give it to us, plain and simple and between the eyes. Dr. Lawless mentioned in her remarks that the differing exposure will be unevenly spread across geographically. She mentioned some solutions for SME exporters. What proposals has Dr. Lawless in mind to balance out the effects geographically?

I put the question to Mr. Coffey as to what is the biggest threat, Brexit or CCCTB. I will throw in a third one, climate change. Of those three issues, in Dr. Lawless's view, what is the biggest threat to the short-term future of the Irish economy? Dr. Lawless specifically mentioned climate change in an interesting manner.

Finally, Professor Barrett has probably a unique perspective among economists. Sometimes economists come into these committees in a little economic bubble and let the equations and solutions work. Professor Barrett sat through two days of the National Economic Dialogue. Not only has he had the experience of being misquoted today but he sat through two days of competing demands, all passionately given. All those giving them feel that they are the most important ones. I welcome Professor Barrett to our world. How does he, after two days of that experience on which he has a report, suggest we reconcile that particular circle? It is all very fine to do what Mr. Coffey was saying, namely that we could reallocate resources from here to there. When one reallocates resources, one is taking from somebody who feels that his or her issue is as important as the one being allocated. I welcome Professor Barrett to our world and welcome him to the decisions that have to be made by the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, in the coming weeks. From Professor Barrett's experience of those two days, did he get an understanding of the pressures that we face politically and why, to use his own phrase, politics will "trump economics" on many occasions?