Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

-----and the fact that this is a 30-minute debate. We are making decisions in respect of a €50 million fund, with potentially €29 million of State liability in a 30-minute debate which is inadequate. It would be appropriate and I hope that the Minister of State will indicate that he does intend to produce a report to deal with how these various environmental and social criteria have been integrated.

I am looking for transparency and information on this because it is one instrument in a suite of stimulus measures as part of recovery and resilience strategies across Europe. The Parliamentary Budget Office, which I note is not a left-wing think tank but a neutral office, issued a report which points out that Ireland has some of the lowest levels of parliamentary engagement in respect of the financial instruments on recovery and resilience strategies. In fact, of the four ways that there might be for parliamentary engagement on recovery and resilience strategies, Ireland was one of only seven countries in the 24 which said "No" to all four. We are, therefore, one of only seven countries that have failed to have parliamentary oversight on one of the largest and most important sea changes and moves towards stimulus, investment and recovery. According to the Parliamentary Budget Office, we may still barely have the option, although the time is tight, to have parliamentary and committee debates on our recovery and resilience funds. These are all options that other countries have taken up. That is why I am concerned and it is not sufficient that we simply have 30-minute debates on financial instruments going through with everybody hoping, as I do, that there is a good fallout and that good things happen for SMEs on the back of it but without thought and discussion about how it can be most effectively done and without the insight that parliamentary colleagues on all sides might be able to offer in respect of these issues.

This loan guarantee scheme is one part of a suite of measures. I am putting forward this idea to make the point on transparency partly because I am calling for greater transparency and discussion on all of the measures and how they join together with all our other collective goals, for example, those goals identified at European level such as biodiversity, climate, environmental risks, cultural heritage and labour standards. We are allowed to incorporate these issues. I understand that they may come in indirectly via the European eligibility certificates and criteria but I feel we can do more here in Ireland and there is an insight that we can give here. Can the Minister of State address and accept amendment No. 1 and perhaps indicate if he plans to bring forward reports and further information on these issues? I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach.