Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)

I thank Mr. Sweetman and his colleagues for a positive and invigorating presentation. I have learned a lot. The first thing which occurs to me is that, given the importance of the relationship between Ireland and the US, we should look at how this committee could engage on a more regular basis with AmCham to identify the challenges and opportunities that exist, so that we can see, in a cross-party manner, how we can assist in that particular area.

I am interested in what Mr. Sweetman said about Irish investment in the US. For several years, I have been conscious of how mobile Irish capital is and that it will travel anywhere in the world where an opportunity to make profit exists. When we look at the level of employment now generated by Irish businesspeople in the United States and compare it with the US investment here, taking the relativities into account, Ireland is far more invested in the US than the US is invested here.

Mr. Sweetman spoke about housing and infrastructure. God knows, we all know how awful and appalling they are but I heard Bernie Sanders speak not so long ago in this country and he did not paint a picture of nirvana as far as housing in the US was concerned. His picture was of a country facing challenges in providing houses and workers. In fact, the point I think he was making was that workers from outside of the States were needed to come in and build the houses. President Trump will certainly not be encouraging that so one wonders how, on the other side of this coin, that particular matter is going to be addressed.

I will ask a couple of specific questions. In terms of Ireland, the US and China, President Trump has come back from wooing Xi Jinping and it seems to have been all sweetness and light, at least on the American side. Does Mr. Sweetman advice to give us on how we, in our bilateral relationship with the EU, could benefit in our dealings with China, or are they matters that should be separated and avoided?

On the question of investment, President Trump is clearly determined to bring jobs home, which is something we could want to do ourselves if we were not in a situation where we are unable to fill the jobs we have in the country already. If Trump is committed to bringing jobs home, are we in truth looking at working to maintain existing levels of investment and employment for the duration of his period in office, rather than looking at increasing investment? Is there any reasonable prospect at all of additional investment against the sort of political background that exists?