Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Taoiseach's reply, particularly regarding immigration. I met the ambassador as well. He is energetic and will be a constructive voice in enhancing and nurturing relationships between our two countries.

This is our first occasion to question the Taoiseach on President Obama's announcement on immigration. The President's actions are welcome, but they do not include everything that we want to be in a proper programme. There are still thousands of undocumented Irish out there. There are also still issues with the level of certainty around President Obama's policies and his relationship with Congress. There are challenges with regard to whether Congress will approve those policies or go further in terms of a comprehensive immigration Bill. People believed that could happen two years ago, but it does not look as though it will happen now, before a presidential election.

President Obama's statement has implications concerning people returning home and those with a particular status in the United States. We are concerned by utterances from some members of the US Congress who say they will undo much of what President Obama has announced. Is our lobbying and diplomacy focused on members of Congress to at least get commitments that they will not roll back on what President Obama has announced? That is important in order to have certainty about our undocumented. If what President Obama has said was allowed to prevail, that, in itself, would give some certainty to the undocumented in the United States. The fact that some members of Congress are suggesting otherwise is a worry. I ask the Taoiseach to assess that issue.

I do not think the Taoiseach mentioned the tax situation. We know that tens of thousands of people in Ireland rely on jobs that are directly provided by American investment and US multinational companies. Many of them use tax schemes which are entirely legal and in line with practices found in many other countries. In the budget, the Taoiseach announced a move to a new system concerning a particular dimension of the global tax situation. What measures does the Taoiseach intend to take to provide long-term certainty on tax matters to investors in Ireland? Long-term certainty is the key issue on tax matters. Will the Taoiseach be raising that matter when he is next in Washington?

The European Parliament and other European institutions are beginning to single out individual American companies and employers for attack. For example, a recent vote by the European Parliament calling for the break-up of Google is naked populism but it could have a serious impact on jobs here and elsewhere across Europe. Unfortunately, Sinn Féin and the far left had no problem with that motion, which is directly damaging to Ireland's interests. Does the Taoiseach and his Government talk with all our MEPs, irrespective of party affiliation, about the national interest regarding issues that emerge in the European Parliament from to time? Will he take steps to assure Google and other important investors that Ireland will stand against such damaging grandstanding in Europe?

As regards the forthcoming events in America in March, other parties, including Sinn Féin, will be out there also. One of the most remarkable things is how Sinn Féin never mentions any of its domestic policies when its representatives fly across the Atlantic. That is probably because they know their policies would horrify most of the people they are trying to raise money from. Perhaps this year the Government might find an opportunity for Deputy Adams to explain Sinn Féin's policy of attacking the United States as being co-responsible for Russia's invasion and brutalisation of Ukraine. That is an important issue which has gone unnoticed in the public domain. The Taoiseach might be kind enough to print off the speeches of Sinn Féin Deputies and MEPs and make them widely available in Washington.

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