Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have been asked questions on this issue a number of times previously and I have said we have an open mind on it. This is more than a conversation across the EU as it is something on which the European Commission is also giving leadership. While corporate governance in a domestic context falls outside the remit of my Department, the European Commissioner for Justice has announced he will bring forward a new initiative next year in the area of sustainable corporate governance. A public consultation is now under way in which the EU is asking stakeholders how it can best help businesses embed environmental and social interests, including human rights, in their business strategies. I welcome this initiative and Ireland will be co-operating fully with it.

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