Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I agree. Prime Minister Carney is a friend of Ireland. Canada and Ireland are friends. We need to work together. I am delighted to hear of the friendship group and Deputy's McGreehan's chairpersonship of that. I am delighted that hear from Deputy Lahart of the foreign affair committee's visit to Canada. They can perhaps drop off the invite to County Louth while they are there. I agree with Deputy Burke about that whole issue of trade. That is why we have published the action plan on market diversification. We want to continue to trade and grow and develop further our trade links with the United States, but we also want to look to new markets and opportunities. Canada is not a new market, but we have already seen since CETA has come in how the level of trade in goods and services between Ireland and Canada and Canada and Ireland has gone in the right direction. There is huge potential. We are just scratching the surface of the full potential of that relationship.

The point is right that we do not have enough discussion - if the Deputies do not mind me saying so - in this House about trade and the economy. We have loads of discussions about how to spend the money. That is not unimportant, but we never have enough discussions about how to generate it. We are a small open economy. When countries like Canada want to do more business with this country we should be saying, "Thank you very much" and engaging with them constructively. I look forward to when they come in and having that debate.

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