Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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I thank Mr. Kiely and Mr. Klom. I am sorry I missed much of the presentation. I was caught in the Seanad Chamber where I was in the Chair. Their contribution is very interesting and deals with the White Paper on the future of the European Union. As Deputy Durkan stated, much of this is about bringing people together. Some recent remarks I read are a cause for concern. Do the larger countries in the EU plan to work together to bring about tax harmonisation? I have in mind our corporation tax and so forth. If that were the case, it could be disastrous for Ireland, although we have a veto. Perhaps the witnesses will comment on what they believe is happening in this regard. Is the Department of Finance concerned that there may be moves afoot on this issue?

While Brexit is not specifically on the agenda for our discussion, I am pleased the negotiations have started well. When will we reach the point where the United Kingdom will be inclined to relent? One cannot adopt a hard and fast position in negotiations. I am concerned about the Single Market and customs union. When will the crunch stage be reached in the negotiations on Brexit?