Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Taoiseach as ucht a chuid freagra.

The Ireland's Global Footprint 2025 plan is lacking in detail about its implementation. No one could argue with the intentions of the plan - attracting greater investment, boosting tourism and trade, building stronger links with the diaspora and increasing cultural exchanges. These are aims that Sinn Féin certainly supports. The notion of increased diplomatic and international agency services will increase the likelihood of delivery, but there is no timeframe that I am conscious of. Could the Taoiseach tell us what timeframe there may be? How will the increases in staff be divided between the diplomatic service and agencies, such as IDA Ireland and Fáilte Ireland? Has the Government reached any preliminary decision as to where new embassies might be opened?

Against this backdrop we have the shifting dynamics within the European Union and we have Brexit. The Taoiseach will have noted the French President's call recently for the need for increased and accelerated EU integration, tax harmonisation and further EU military co-operation. President Macron spoke about a two-tier Europe, a sovereign Europe with its own separate parliament for members of the eurozone who will have their own finance minister, and he wants a single EU corporate tax band. This is the federalist dream, but it also is flying directly in the face of the so-called guarantees that were secured by the Irish Government in the aftermath of the rejection of the Lisbon treaty in 2009. If the French President's plan comes to fruition there will be little need for an Ireland's Global Footprint 2025 plan. I ask the Taoiseach to give us more details on his Canadian statement? Also, what is the Taoiseach's view of what the French President has said and did he raise these issues at the EU digital summit in Estonia last week?

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