Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It has been an honour and privilege to serve in this House for so many years. I thank my constituents for their loyalty and support over so many years and for placing their trust in me. I also thank you, a Cheann Comhairle, for all your encouragement and help, and the staff of the Houses of the Oireachtas for their unfailing courtesy and for ensuring the smooth running of this House.

There has been some discussion already this morning about our economic model. As the Tánaiste knows, we are a small, open economy. President-elect Trump has promised to reduce US corporation tax, which poses a threat to our foreign direct investment, a model which has served us so well since the late 1950s. There is also the threat of imposing tariffs on EU goods and services. How concerned is the Tánaiste about our economic model? As a party and a country, we believe in free trade. What do we need to do to protect that and to ensure jobs, employment and economic growth going forward?

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