Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach listed several new locations for diplomatic missions to be opened. Are we preparing the additional staff now so that we will have a sufficient, robust, trained and experienced cohort to move into these missions? Some of these are small missions and would not have a cohort of mentoring staff available.

I note the proposal for Japan includes a new Ireland House that will cost €23 million. I was in Japan and I saw the two buildings we have currently in Tokyo. I know the price of building land there. In fact, if a building is devoted to a diplomatic purpose, the occupier gets a decrease. Is the concept of Ireland House to be a uniform concept now? Are we going to migrate to that concept everywhere?

The perception of Ireland is relevant for our footprint. Everywhere I go, including at international conferences I attend within my political group, I constantly have to address the issue of tax haven Ireland. Recent academic research and analysis from the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Copenhagen suggest €100 billion in corporate profits were shifted into Ireland in 2015. The research estimates that Ireland is the biggest recipient of such corporate shifts, bigger than all the Caribbean islands together. These are real issues. I realise they have been rejected by the Department of Finance, but perception is very real and we need to formulate a robust answer to that charge.

The Taoiseach might recall that his predecessor, Deputy Enda Kenny, believed in one of the perceptions of Ireland derived from our peacekeeping role through our military. Certainly in my time in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform he was a champion of the replacement of the flagship of the Naval Service with a multi-purpose vessel that could have a hospital facility. He believed that move could project positivity for Ireland in conflict zones. The Taoiseach wears a dual hat as he is Minister for Defence as well. Is there any progress on that as part of the global positive footprint for Ireland?

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