Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent Ireland Party) | Oireachtas source

What protections do we have from Europe regarding the tariffs threatening to be introduced by America on our businesses here and across Europe? What protections have we got from such a thing coming down which could impact the loss of jobs, as well as the loss of investment in this country? Vance said Ireland was a tax haven for these companies. The funds and jobs we have from these companies need to be protected. Even more, how do we counteract the likes of President Trump and Vance?

I believe the Government was right to go over to meet President Trump. All avenues have to be kept open. However, the knock-on effect will not only be from those companies, but will be across transport and local businesses. Also, the cost will be the loss of jobs. At all times we have to keep communications open.

I send this across the world to America. Many Irish-Americans who are descended from here live in America. I am asking them also to add their voices to protect the place from which they came and protect jobs here. That is a message I would like to send to President Trump, to make sure that Irish-Americans who are working in America, have built their lives in America and helped to build America into what it is, should use that in protection of the country they came from.

I refer to whatever we have to do to protect these jobs and to protect the moneys that have come into this country, which have helped to make our economy sustainable. In the present, we see massive inflation as it is. Things are spiralling out of control, including house building. If we are not careful we will be heading into a deep recession where we will need all the funds possible to make sure that we can keep people fed in this country.

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