Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I make no apologies at all for fulfilling my role as leader of a political party outlining the values for which this country stands, values that are the absolute opposite of those of the current President of the United States. That provides a valuable counterbalance to the role of the Taoiseach and doing otherwise would have been remiss of me and others in opposition who should set out the real values of this country, which we should assert with pride and clarity whenever we meet anyone abroad. Consider the opening of the statement by Chancellor Merkel, who is not in my political family. She outlined clearly the European and German values on which she would base her engagement with the US. That was the approach.

Interestingly too the comments of former Governor, Martin O'Malley, re-echoed those points. Those are really important things to say. One cannot always fumble in the greasy till. Commerce is not everything. We have valuable connections but they are not the only values we have.

I welcome the fact the Taoiseach raised the issue of the undocumented but what will come of that? I ask that having listened to all the commentary from Mr. Spicer and others after the visit. Does the Taoiseach have a commitment to legislative change on the undocumented?

In regard to taxation policy, did the Taoiseach raise with anybody on his visit the so-called border adjustment tax, which would be devastating for this country, or corporation tax reform? Does he have any indication of what is likely to be proposed by the Trump presidency in those regards?

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