Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I share the Deputy’s view of some of what we heard in the press conference in the Rose Garden, and that is what it was. One must then work through the legal detail. We are already seeing that things, which were announced as coming in at midnight last night, are not coming in until 5 or 9 April, so there is a fair bit of teasing through beyond the headline announcements. Certainly, the European Union does not impose tariffs of anything like 39% on the United States. The European Union, of which we are proudly a member - the Deputy did not do so but we should not refer to it as being a distinct part - has been very clear that we want talks not tariffs. That is the approach we have been taking almost daily.

There was a view that President Trump was determined to have that Rose Garden moment before getting to the talks. We think that is regrettable. He has had that moment and now can we get on with the talking? That is the approach we should take. I agree with the Deputy and think he put it well when he said measured but resolute. There is a moment where we have to show President Trump that we are a very big economic block. There are 450 million of us and the economic relationship between the EU and the US is worth €1.6 trillion a year. It does not matter what anybody’s politics is; that is not a relationship that can be sniffed at. It matters. It matters to people who voted for him in terms of their jobs, well-being and the prices of their consumer goods. The moment has happened. He has had the big bang moment with the little charts and he has gone through all the tariffs. Now it is about calm, mature, and measured engagement.

I agree with the Deputy about the European unity piece. I am struck by the strength of European unity. I think it is for a couple of reasons. For one thing, we value our European membership, the European Union matters to all of us, but it is also because President Trump has decided to target so many different areas. Slovakia and Germany have big car industries. That has been one impact. Steel and aluminium have had a disproportionate impact on others. Of course there were the EU-wide measures yesterday and potential further measures on pharma. What is very clear is that different countries may feel a moment of pressure at different times but all of us across the European Union are badly impacted as is the US by a high tariff protectionist attitude to trade.

I agree that protecting jobs has to be our number 1 job collectively. Of course, it does. The Government will keep an open mind and will engage constructively on supports that may be required in the time ahead. I have heard colleagues make that point, including the Minister for enterprise today. Our State agencies, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland, are at the trade forum and will be there again tomorrow as are business representative groups. We will always engage. We have a proud track record across successive governments of supporting Irish business but the first thing we must do is to try to mitigate and not accept this as the final outcome but take up the opportunity to negotiate, to try to negotiate down and to try to get to a better place. That has to be the first priority because that mitigation will do more to protect jobs, growth, investment and our economy than any single support scheme we may be able to put in place.

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