Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I wish to return to the issue of the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act, IRA, on the EU and, more specifically, Ireland. I raised this during our discussions before the Council meeting. Has the Minister of State had an opportunity to reflect on the matter? Is there any domestic evaluation of the Act’s impact and the effectiveness of the countermeasures, as it were, being deployed by the EU to ensure we do not lose the significant new investment in new technologies that the Act is designed to attract into the US?

I am seeking clarity on the issue of China. I am confused reading the conclusions of the Council meeting. There seems to be the notion that we are both partners and adversaries. Is there a cohesive common position within the EU on our approach to China or is it a matter for each member state to map its own course?

The most important issue of all is that of migration. The previous Council meeting did not agree a conclusion because such a conclusion was not allowed by Hungary and Poland. Where does the Minister of State see matters in that respect? We could not do it in this session, but perhaps it would be useful for us to have a debate on European migration strategy early in the new session.

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