Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I apologise for coming late, but I had made commitments prior to the scheduling of this meeting. I thank Ms O'Neill and Ms Ní Chasaide for the clarity of their very targeted and comprehensive statement.

The issue of international tax justice was raised. During the June 2013 G8 summit held in County Fermanagh, one of the issues discussed by the groups involved in international development at meetings on the margins was international tax justice. We hear about the issues that arise at these important meetings of the G8, the G7 and the G20 but we seldom hear about the outcomes. Has the issue of tax justice gone higher up the agenda in the meantime?

Debt and Development Coalition Ireland dealt with the role of the IFC in its submission and highlighted that complaints had been made against it for investing in client companies that are allegedly involved in extreme human rights abuses. To their knowledge, has any country, or the European Union, taken direct action in that regard? I presume the European Union participates in these discussions at the World Bank.