Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin (Wicklow-Wexford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The economic model and approach of successive governments, whereby they put all our eggs in one basket, has today left us exposed and vulnerable. In Wicklow and Wexford, we certainly are as we have no fewer than nine pharmaceutical companies and our local struggling agricultural sector cannot afford any more cost increases.

Recent governments in this State failed to properly invest in infrastructure or, crucially, build up indigenous industries. Instead, we rushed headlong into becoming the 51st state of the Union. What direction do we take now? We need to play on our exceptionalism and mobilise the 44 million-strong Irish-American community. We must build cross-party alliances and use our influence to negotiate with the US to try to keep the tariff rates North and South at the same level. Strengthening links with the five BRICS economies is also crucial, as is outright rejection of the Mercosur deal. We need co-operation with our European friends. However, shooting the gun of retaliation to the Trump tariffs is not in Ireland's interest. Ireland is very exposed and we cannot win a trade war. This is a time for caution, rationality and restraint. Our priorities - exports of dairy and pharma and our connection to high-tech - are not those of the EU, nor of German car manufacturers.

It is timely at this time of year to remember the ideals of Easter week and start acting like a sovereign and independent state. First and foremost, the Government needs to safeguard Irish interests and adopt an all-Ireland approach. As I said, we are approaching Easter week and we remember the words of republican leader Liam Mellows who stood in this Chamber as a TD. His words more than a century ago, advocating for more economic sovereignty, were prophetic. As part of an lengthy contribution, he stated the following:

Ireland, if her industries and banks were controlled by foreign capital, would be at the mercy of every breeze that ruffled the surface of the world's money-markets. Ireland, therefore, must start with a clean slate. The Irish Republic is the People's Republic.

Instead of continually waving the blue and yellow flag, perhaps we should wave our own flag for a change and fight for the interests of the Irish people.

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