Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I have been tabling questions on the National Economic and Social Council, NESC, for some time. I am no wiser about the Taoiseach's exact attitude to the council. Obviously, there was a long hiatus when he did not appoint members to the board. I assumed there would be a replacement of some description or a reconfiguration but the Taoiseach is now advising the House that by the end of this month, we will revert to what I presume is the traditional NESC. The Taoiseach might tell us whether that is the case.

Let me set out why I tabled a question on the new engagement structures. These are set out in the Taoiseach's own Department's strategy statement. Are they once-off engagement structures? I listened to them for the first time as the Taoiseach listed them out. Is any of them a permanent new structure?

It is clear that we now need a new economic focus, not only because of Brexit, which will affect us very significantly, as we all know, but also because of the Trump presidency. The new Administration in the United States is pursuing a trade policy that will directly challenge our long-standing industrial model of foreign direct investment here. The case for a clear platform for economic advice has never been stronger. The Taoiseach talked about housing, aquaculture etc. but there are fundamental issues associated with our economic and industrial model that need to be fundamentally re-examined, almost in a Whitaker-like way. Does the Taoiseach have any ideas about that new, fresh approach?

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