Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I have five questions in this group of 12.

Deputy Martin is correct. We are garnering more information about Ireland's position from leaks coming from Brussels than we are being given directly. This is a moving platform and things are happening in real time. I have asked many times in recent months for us to be informed as we go along. I will shortly have an opportunity for ten minutes to make a statement about the European Council but I will raise two issues now.

PESCO is the first item on the agenda. Two countries, Denmark and Malta, have refused to sign up. In Malta's case, it is because it has a particular constitutional clause enshrining its neutrality which it believes will be compromised by PESCO. We needed more time to tease these matter out for ourselves. I made that crystal clear last week. We need to bring the public with us in any changes we make in our participation in either security or defence matters. Our record in respect of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and our peacekeeping role over decades are matters of great pride and have carved out for this State a hard-won position. It is something to which we will return.

I have specific questions to the Taoiseach regarding the Brexit negotiations. The Taoiseach rightly says that the Council will meet in Article 50 format. Today's edition of the Financial Times reports that - as we all know - in what is characterised as the new toughened EU position, future EU-UK relationship will not begin formal discussions until March. It notes that President Tusk has issued a new letter to all EU leaders prior to the summit underlining the importance of solidarity among the remaining 27. However, it foresees that rather than focusing on scoping out the preliminaries of a trade deal, the talks between the UK between January and March next year will concentrate instead on the conditions which the EU will set for the transition period. That is quite a shift. Before we make our own statements and because there will be no opportunity to do so at the conclusion of the statements, will the Taoiseach tell us what exactly has been the shift in position since the formal declaration was made after the sign-off by the United Kingdom and the EU 27 on the phase 1 issues? Is it now the case that no formal talks on trade are to begin before March and that, as the Financial Times reports of President Tusk's letter, the period between January and March will focus instead on the conditions that will apply in the transition period? I am interested in hearing the Taoiseach's views on the duration of the transition period.

Our time here is tight and while I also wish to deal with the issue of taxation, the points have been raised already. I am interested in specifics as these matters are very important to this country.

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