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

First, this report has been updated six times. We know about it because of the work of Tony Connelly of RTÉ and not because of the Taoiseach or the Minister for Finance. Deputy Donnelly has asked the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, 19 parliamentary questions on issues relating to this. Is the Taoiseach seriously suggesting that he and the Minister for Finance knew nothing about it? On 11 September last, the Minister responded to a question tabled by Deputy Donnelly by saying he had been "informed by Revenue that at this juncture it is not possible to assess what additional resources would be required if the UK left the customs union". Is the Taoiseach seriously telling me that this response was transparent and truthful? We now know from the Revenue report that the implications of such a move would be deadly serious. Does the Taoiseach agree that the 91,000 Irish companies trading with the UK need to know about this kind of stuff? Does he agree that the general public, the small and medium-sized enterprises and the British traders need to know about it? They do need to know about this.

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