Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Has the Minister received any specific requests from Cabinet colleagues for additional funding for next year, particularly for the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation? Obviously we greatly depend on foreign direct investment. Microsoft, Dell, Intel, Apple, Google and other key IT companies have their European headquarters and often African and Asian headquarters based in Ireland. Given the pronouncements of the President-elect that he may slash the US corporation tax rate from 35% to 15% are there concerns over how we might meet that challenge?

The other characteristic we have gleaned from the bruising campaign, as the President-elect has called it, is that he is very hostile to trade agreements. He will immediately scrap the trans-Pacific agreement and he is hostile to NAFTA and the TTIP. Ireland is a small open economy that depends on trade. Is there an indication that the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Charles Flanagan, and his staff will need greater resources in order to meet these challenges?

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