Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South-Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Tá an plean atá ag Uachtarán Mheiriceá, Donald Trump, gan loighic, gan chiall, gan phlean agus le himpleachtaí an-dainséarach agus an-dáiríre do mhuintir Mheiriceá sa chéad áit, ach do phobail thar timpeall an domhain freisin.

The imposition of tariffs by President Trump are illogical, arbitrary and, in many respects, without any basis in reality in respect of talking about retaliatory measures without any evidential basis. Most importantly and fundamentally, it will have serious negative consequences for citizens in America and across the world. Unfortunately, as so often is the case, it will be the ordinary workers who will first see the implications if inflation rises. Those who are on the margins are likely to be most affected when they look at their trolley of goods in the supermarket and it is workers who will face the consequences if we see lay-offs or a slowdown in investments.

It is undoubtedly a very worrying time. It is important to have cool heads but a clear eye. We cannot and certainly should not panic but nor can we underestimate the threats faced. We must take them seriously. There are many workers up and down the country. In my own constituency in Cork, there is a significant number of jobs in pharmaceuticals, life sciences and different sorts of manufacturing connected to the US economy or US business. Right up and down the country, there will be significant concern about people's futures and jobs, about how all these high-level discussions and about how countries are exchanging tariffs and the tit-for-tat that goes on. What is that going to mean for them and their families? People will want to hear what the Irish Government is going to do and what we can control here. In my view and evaluation, Ireland has been left uniquely vulnerable due to the policies of successive governments that have relied excessively on tax incentives and have failed to invest in our infrastructure or diversify. That is a problem.

As I have been saying since February, four primary areas need to be addressed. First, we need to use our voice at a European level to ensure the interests of Irish workers, business and the economy. We must use our voice to the greatest extent possible. I raised the issue in early March regarding the dairy industry and the Irish distilled drinks industry. It is welcome that it appears they are not included at this point in time but pressure must continue. It is clear the agri-food industry is in the crosshairs of the American Administration. I note that some of the language on this has varied in recent weeks. Some of the language from Government representatives has spoken of the need to step back and evaluate the situation. I do not believe that was the Government's first instinct; the first instinct was to ensure we were centrally part of any response from Europe, without necessarily offering a critical voice. If the Government is taking on board what we and others have said, including industry voices, that is welcome.

I would be concerned that any actions in terms of a knee-jerk rush to retaliatory tariffs will have clear implications for Irish workers and for Irish citizens as regards costs. We cannot very well argue that what Trump is doing is profoundly damaging to the American economy - and it is - and then do the same thing to our own economy with all the implications for workers and businesses. There should be no knee-jerk reaction. Any actions the EU takes must have a clear plan, a clear objective and need to be clear-sighted in terms of what they intend to achieve.

The second issue relates to diversification. We have become far too reliant on a small number of markets. We have failed to build up our own domestic economy. That is a point that Sinn Féin has been making for many years. The third issue relates to supports. I echo the call made by Deputy Doherty in relation to a sector analysis. We also know what companies are exporting to the US. It is possible to evaluate who is doing the exporting and make sure we are meeting their needs and that we are reacting to that. The fourth issue relates to infrastructure. Along with my colleagues, I have been meeting representatives from the key organisations in pharmaceuticals. I listened to the Minister and the Tánaiste talking about careful management of our economy. Even aside from the whole issue of bike sheds and event centres, we spend so much on things such as HAP because we failed to invest in social housing. We talk about the huge success of pharmaceuticals in Cork. The next huge industry for Cork could be floating offshore wind. We do not have the electrical grid to support that. The reality is that these issues relating to infrastructure have been around for years and they have not been addressed. We hear the talk time and again that we are going to invest in infrastructure. It has not happened and it has left us vulnerable.

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