Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are more than happy to have pre-legislative scrutiny to engage with those with whom we agree and disagree. It is a fundamental and long-standing position of my party. With respect to Deputy Paul Murphy, I have been going to Fine Gael Ard-Fheiseanna for more than 20 years - I presume he has not been to any; I really hope he has not – and I have spoken on countless motions that make it quite clear what my party’s position has been and will always be on the triple lock.

I will refer to something specific and unique to my current brief which is fundamental to the basis of global security. Deputy Barry Ward from my party and Deputy Seán Crowe made a very eloquent and righteous defence of the work of Irish Aid and our international development programme. When we talk about global conflict and the impacts of climate change and the drivers of mass migration and the effects on our lives and livelihoods, it goes to source. At a time when too many global actors are turning their backs on development programmes and are blindly cutting their aid programmes, Ireland is the only EU member state that has increased its programme in the past year and is the only OECD country that has not cut its aid programme. I will work day and night and fight like a tiger to make sure our aid programme is increased in the forthcoming budget. It is not simply the right thing to do by the most vulnerable and poorest people in the world, as many in the Chamber have recognised, but it is also materially in our interest.

In the final two minutes available to me, I will comment on international trade. Yes, we are facing very difficult times. We know what these sorts of difficult times require from a government. My party was in government when we dealt with the financial crash and the bailout that came after. It was in Government throughout the period of dealing with the fall out of the ill-fated Brexit referendum and the fallout, economic and otherwise, of the onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic. Many Deputies have asked what preparation has taken place. The ongoing analysis by the European Commission has been on the potential impact of tariffs and the engagement that does not happen if you are not in the room. We have been working for years on the diversification of trade in terms of the enhancement of European trade deals whether it is with central America or south-east Asia.

Funnily enough, we might actually pass the EU-Canada trade agreement known as CETA. If anything, events in recent weeks have shown the importance of the full and complete implementation and introduction of that agreement. I look forward to playing my part.

On Ireland's role in the world going forward, in terms of dealing with the threats to international security we all see at the moment and indeed the worrying impacts on global trade that have people genuinely frightened in their kitchens every evening about the future of their job or business, our response will have to be a clear declaration that Ireland is an open country. We are open to multilateral agreements. We are open to co-operation and real international trade. As a Government, we commit to working with every single Member of this Oireachtas to make sure we protect our interests in a way that is consistent with our values when it comes to human rights and solidarity.

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