Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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9. To ask the Minister for Finance the engagement he has had to date with the EU Commission and other EU member states on the evolving situation of tariff increases by the US; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16161/25]

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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The imposition of Trump's tariffs of 20% last night is a deeply serious concern for Irish jobs and costs for so many people. The EU response is being co-ordinated and could add further pressure for people. What engagements has the Minister planned with his EU counterparts and with the Commission as regards this response?

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this. Just to add to his point, the greatest challenge of all to the livelihoods of those he is raising today is if the changes that happened last night become bigger and permanent and if they fundamentally change how our global economy works. In order to see if we can avoid that happening, we need to have negotiation and engagement with the US, as the Deputy has acknowledged along with many other Deputies today. It is difficult to see how we get to that happening unless the European Union, including us, indicates that we are willing to respond and take action. With regard to the cause of any long-term harm that we could face or the economy of Europe could face, the first instigator of that has been what has happened in the US, not measures that we may have to very regretfully consider here in Ireland and Europe. In the absence of those measures that have been announced by President Trump, as the Deputy well knows and as he inferred in the point he put to me, we would not even be considering actions that the EU needs to take with regard to trade.

To answer the question he put to me regarding my engagement, on Friday of next week there will be a meeting of all finance Ministers of the European Union in Warsaw. In advance of that meeting, beginning, I hope, tomorrow, I will be talking to my colleagues about the issues the Deputy raised. On Monday, the Tánaiste will be meeting trade Ministers of the EU. I know the Taoiseach has engaged with the Commission on this and will be doing so with other Heads of Government. That is all under way. It has begun and will only intensify in the days and weeks that await all of us.

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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While Trump's tariffs are only a few hours old, the Minister's officials have been examining various scenarios and preparing reports, some of which have been published. We recognise that the technology, pharmaceutical, and food and beverage sectors are a serious concern. In my own area in Cork, pharmaceuticals and food and beverages are a major concern. Will the Minister be making the case to his counterparts on different sectors when he meets with them? What particular priorities does he plan to set out to his counterparts at those meetings?

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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To reconfirm to the Deputy, we have already raised the different sectors within the economy. The food and beverage sectors he raised are a really important part of the communities he represents and contribute to his local economy. Those issues have been raised. The Tánaiste formally communicated with the Commission, I believe on Monday, on this, making the case on the food and beverages sector and aligning ourselves with other economies that have been affected in a similar way. To be candid with the Deputy, however, that has really been moved on by the decision the United States have made to apply in effect universal tariffs to all that is coming out of the European Union. We have indeed modelled that and published the modelling a week ago. As we become clearer on what the EU will do, we will publish a revised economic update, probably indicating additional scenarios. We will do that in the next few weeks as part of the budget process we normally instigate. We will publish what is called an annual progress report, which will outline scenarios, giving our best answer to the question the Deputy is pointing to.

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister. With 10% tariffs on the UK and the higher 20% tariff on the EU, there is a particular concern about the all-island economy and how people in the Republic will be impacted by the tariffs versus those in the Six Counties. Is there space within the Windsor Framework to deal with this? Will the Minister put the all-island economy as a priority to his EU counterparts when he is meeting them?

Joe Neville (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I wish to express my condolences on the passing of Mick O'Dwyer, a legend of the GAA who gave us great days in Kildare. I thank the Minister for all his information on the tariffs last night. Coming from Leixlip, we have Intel and the Kerry Group in our area in north Kildare. I saw a lot of the fears of my peers last night, the people I worked with in the business sector. What level of engagement has the Minister had with the Minister for trade in the past number of weeks? How does he see that continuing in the coming days?

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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First and foremost, on the tariffs, we all understand there is no win here. Deputy Moynihan spoke about the discrepancy between North and South now and obviously there will be ongoing issues in relation to partition. However, be it 10% or 20%, neither is beneficial.

There has been a lot of conversation on future engagement. First and foremost, it has to be about negotiation. I expect a significant amount of our conversation with the European Commission and other stakeholders throughout Europe will be about supporting our own business and ensuring we do not cut off our nose to spite our face. I also accept Europe will have a plan for circumstances where we do not have successful negotiations. It is about protecting and engaging, and this will suit nobody, including those in America and particularly those at the lower end that Donald Trump constantly says he is out there to support.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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Obviously, this is bad news for Ireland - there is no doubt about that. While the pharma sector seems to have been given a reprieve for the moment, which is a blessing, the secondary effect of tariffs internationally will be a dampening effect on the world economy. We are a small, open economy and will be very sensitive to that. That will have a significant effect on our tax take - both on corporate taxes and, potentially, a shrinking job market here in the future. The best thing for the European Union to do at the moment is to de-escalate the situation because an escalating tariff war does not suit Ireland.

What real efforts is the Government making to negotiate directly with the US on this? I understand it is a European competency in many ways but we have a leverage in the US that many European countries do not have. What specific efforts are we involved in to try to put pressure on the United States to ensure pharma does not become part of the landing zone?

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputies for the questions they have raised. The very important companies the Deputy Neville mentioned, Kerry Group and Intel, form an excellent example of making the case for trade because they are also present in the United States of America. They sell there and have a large presence there.

I will, on behalf of the communities the Deputies represent and that other colleagues have raised, engage heavily within the EU. I outlined to the House earlier that a meeting of finance ministers of the European Union would take place on Friday. Deputy Moynihan asked what I would do in advance of that. I will engage with colleagues from tomorrow on this. Responding via the EU is the best way for the Irish people and Government to influence what is happening at a global level.

On the point Deputy Tóibín made, we of course want a negotiation or de-escalation but I make the point I have made a number of times this morning: it is difficult to see how such a negotiation could take place unless the European Union is willing to outline that we would, regrettably, have to respond to the tariffs put in place and respond in a proportionate way to what the administration of President Trump has done. We will engage with the US and within the EU to make the case for the medicine and life science sector.