Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Mr. Abela to Ireland. Following on from what my colleague said, I thank Malta for its support and solidarity in the ongoing debate on the Irish backstop.

Will Mr. Abela give us an overview of Malta's position on taxation? Malta has received criticism, rightly or wrongly, for being a tax haven. We have also received some criticisms and undertaken measures along the way to improve the level of transparency.

Mr. Abela made specific reference to the Middle East peace process, which interests the committee a lot. We have controversial legislation before us on occupied territories, of which there are stand-out examples in the Middle East. I am not sure if Mr. Abela is aware of that legislation or if there is any debate in Malta on goods and services originating from territories occupied illegally under international law. What is the state of the discussion or debate in Malta on the absence of any viable Middle East peace process? A promise has been held out that there is some form of initiative coming. While nearly every country in the European Union is prepared to recognise the state of Palestine, not everybody is on board in finding a viable solution.