Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Ach an oiread leis an Seanadóir Bacik, aontaím gur maith an rud é go ndeachaigh Comhdháil an G8 ar aghaidh go síochánta agus go bhfuair daoine léargas ar ché chomh fada chun cinn agus atá cúrsaí tagtha ó thaobh síocháin de ar an oileán seo le 15 bliana anuas.

It is welcome that the G8 summit went off without major incident and that there is a new view internationally of peace in Ireland and so on, but 15 years on from the Good Friday Agreement, as President Obama said, there is still a great deal of work to be done to embed the peace process. There are outstanding issues under the Agreement. It is also important, as Senator Ivana Bacik noted, that tax, trade and transparency issues were discussed. The Government has made great play of our international reputation in the markets, etc., which is the reason we have been given for the repayment of bondholders and compliance with the troika programme and so on. That is why it is strange that when we have been castigated by a US Senate committee about our tax regime, the Taoiseach did not raise this matter with President Obama when he had the opportunity to do so. Surely if the Taoiseach is so confident about our tax regime, he would have done so because UK watchdogs, as well as the US Senate committee, are stating Ireland is a tax haven. That is having a serious impact on our reputation internationally and it is strange that the Taoiseach did not raise the issue. It is important, therefore, that the Minister for Finance attend the House for a debate on taxation issues.

That debate should also be held in the context of budgetary talks that have commenced within the Government. Time will pass quickly as we run into the budget in October. Last year the Leader promised us a series of debates on budgetary issues in the run-up to the budget. It is important that a timescale be put in place in order that we will have an opportunity, while the Seanad is still in place, to debate the budgetary portfolios and implications of budgetary cuts and changes. Will the Leader indicate when that process will commence? Will a timetable be put in place for these budgetary debates?