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international trade developments of the past few weeks. In an executive order signed on 10 February, President Trump announced a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminium imports from the European Union. The executive order highlighted the increasing levels of US imports of steel as its rationale … imposition of tariffs. It asserts that exemptions and modifications to the tariffs since they were introduced during the first Trump administration have undermined national security objectives by preventing sustained production capacity utilisation of at least 80%. I regret that, despite the best efforts to avert their imposition, these

lost on many people. I wish to raise three issues relating to international trade. I will first discuss lessons from history on tariffs, then what Ireland should do about tariffs and, finally, our future international trade strategy. History warns us against tariffs. They are a lose-lose approach … international trade. In the 1930s, the USA introduced the Smoot-Hawley tariffs. These resulted in an average tariff of 60% on imports. The rest of the world retaliated and countries imposed their own tariffs. This led to deep division. The tariffs may not have caused the Great Depression

Sweden, and indeed Ireland, aspire to and have put in place at world-leading levels. It is important that we protect our economy. Tariffs were mentioned by Deputy Boyd Barrett in this context too. Everyone is against tariffs because they cut growth and jobs but when … Canada trade agreement three or four years ago it was a big debating point in the Dáil. That reduces tariffs to zero or near-zero on trade with Canada, the friendliest country in the world. One of the Green Party TDs went to the High Court to stop

economic uncertainty and volatility in our trading partners, significant threats are becoming apparent in many sectors. I am concerned at the trade tariffs that President Trump has indicated he will impose on the pharmaceutical industry, technology, software companies and Irish products such as whiskey and the impact that … more than €800 million per year. Over half of this is made up of whiskey exports. The imposition of a 200% tariff would spell ruin for the small whiskey distilleries that have blossomed in the past number of years, many of them providing valuable employment in rural areas

Ireland is facing a significant economic storm. The threatened tariff war with the United States could do immense damage to the current Irish economic model. Proposed changes to the US corporation tax could be catastrophic in terms of the Irish economy. Successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Governments … move with ease depending on the prevailing international economic winds. Ireland is currently facing into headwinds blowing against us from the United States. Tariffs will decimate the Irish economy. Irish exports to the United States, relative to other European counties, are far more. Last year, we exported

raise with the Tánaiste today is how we in Ireland respond to US President Trump. First, on the impact of Trump's proposed tariffs, we are hearing that US pharmaceutical companies based in Ireland are already scenario planning for moving manufacturing to the US. Like … contribution to corporation tax receipts, so we could not be more exposed in terms of jobs and our economy from the risk of tariffs. I raised this with the Tánaiste three weeks ago and he accepted my request to brief Opposition leaders on the potential impact of tariffs

world's absolute outrage at what is happening in Gaza and in the occupied territories across Palestine. Turning to other issues, the tariffs being brought in by the United States were to be on steel and aluminium first. Then the European Union talked about tariffs on whisky coming … from America, then they retorted with tariffs on Irish whiskey products and products coming from the European Union, with talk of 200% tariffs. All of this is very volatile and difficult. In my own constituency we have The Shed Distillery in Drumshanbo. Pat Rigney was on the radio

enormous investment going on in the Midleton plant and in a new one and obviously there is huge concern about how the tariffs will proceed. Let us remember that the European Union does not want any tariffs. The US Government has started this with a resumption of tariffs … engage with and input into that. We will be engaging with the Commission. Obviously there has to be a comprehensive response to any tariffs that will be announced on 2 April. The EU will be allowing a bit of time after 2 April before it responds

concern, as I have, about the impact on the food and drink sector, in particular the whiskey sector given the potential for 200% tariffs from the United States. We must do a number of things. First, nobody wins a trade war. The only way to win a trade … hope that cooler heads will prevail. Obviously, that cannot be guaranteed or controlled. The Government must ensure that the European strategy on tariffs, in terms of retaliatory actions, safeguards to the greatest extent possible the sectors that are important to us here in Ireland. That is food, drink

flee the country if the situation changes. Right now, pharmaceutical companies are actually working out what they should do if there is a tariff change. Right now, pharmaceutical companies are working out how they can transfer manufacturing and their taxation system outside of Ireland. My major worry … situation. A couple of weeks ago we had a situation where, in response to the US, the EU came up with a retaliatory tariff against the US which included bourbon. It literally put Irish drinks in the target by making that decision. I would like the Minister

wish to ask the Taoiseach about coming tariffs and what they could do in particular to the whiskey industry in Ireland. I was with the Taoiseach in Washington DC this week. He did a difficult but good job representing the country. We are concerned about the impact coming … tariffs could have on Irish Distillers. Could there be an investigation to see if bourbon could be excluded from EU tariffs to protect the Irish whiskey industry? We must recognise the role Midleton plays across the world with Irish Distillers. Some of our best known brands include Redbreast

Ireland is one of the most exposed countries in the world to the US trade tariff war. Ireland exports relatively more to the US than most other European countries. Last year, we exported €72 billion worth of goods, €58 billion of which comes under the heading of pharmaceuticals … Obviously, the Taoiseach sat in the same room as President Trump, and pharmaceuticals are a target of the US Administration. Under those threatened tariff increases, there would be a situation where these products would become more expensive to people in the US. If that happens, some of those

European Union will take a strategic view on how it responds to whatever tariffs are imposed. We do not quite know yet what tariffs, at which level or in which sectors, will happen. We will know on 2 April and then Europe will take some time, though … long, to see how it responds. Europe does not want any tariffs. Europe believes that tariffs are damaging to the economy, to jobs and to consumers because inflation will rise as a result of them

hugely concerning. The pharma industry and the people who work in it are a critically important part of our economy. We know tariffs will have a negative impact on Ireland. However, the ESRI warned that the impact could be much worse if pharmaceutical products are targeted … anything the Taoiseach said or did in Washington DC a few weeks ago could have changed this outcome. Donald Trump is megalomaniac convinced tariffs will turbocharge the American economy. He will not or cannot listen to facts, logic or reason. The Government is in no way responsible

some of the Deputies' comments, the Opposition vociferously opposed the trade agreement with Canada. I was asked what we will do about tariffs. What we do about them is we have trade agreements where we reduce the tariffs to nothing or nearly nothing. Every time we do that … High Court cases and Opposition motions. We had all those photographs on Twitter, "they all voted for CETA." We all voted for zero tariffs with Canada, the friendliest country in the world, and we are proud of that. The Opposition's stance at the time was grossly misinformed

detail. However, sharing the best information available is a sensible thing to do. I will come back to trade specifically and to tariffs, but on the occupied territories Bill, about which I have spoken to the Taoiseach, he absolutely reiterated the commitment in the programme for Government with … mean Deputy Bacik - the Government's commitment remains as outlined in the programme for Government in that regard. On the issue of tariffs and trade, the Deputy is right to suggest that this country has a lot of foreign direct investment and that brings exposure and challenge. That

jobs and livelihoods. I know that the Tánaiste will do everything in his power to protect Ireland, the EU and the US from tariffs. With that in mind, I will speak about maximising other opportunities for trade, as he did just this week with the Indian foreign minister … their sources back to or nearer to home. The same can apply to exports. In a world where the prospect of future tariffs is threatening confidence, many companies are looking for opportunities to grow exports to more secure trading partners. Last year, the US was a massive destination

respect of the Mercosur deal. Irish farmers would be unduly affected by this deal and I urge the Government to oppose it. On tariffs, while it will be Europe that will decide the number and type of products that will attract tariffs, we must remember that … example, distillers' grain that comes to Europe comes to Ireland. Speaking to grain importers, if this comes in, along with a tariff on maize, it will add something like €40 or €50 per tonne to the cost of meal. I urge our Ministers to bring this forward

Ireland is the most exposed country in the European Union to the US tariff war. Ireland exports more than any other country in Europe to America. Last year, Ireland exported €72 billion worth of goods to the US. Some €58 billion worth of those were pharmaceutical products. President … influence this Government has in terms of negotiating through the European Union in this regard. A prime example of that is the retaliatory tariffs the EU has imposed on bourbon. This effectively put the Irish whiskey industry directly in the firing line. The latter is a growing industry

asked the Minister serious questions about the response on tariffs, which he has not answered. How the EU decides to retaliate to Trump’s tariffs will be critically important to Ireland. We are particularly exposed because we are a small open economy with huge levels of trade with

force management companies, especially those in apartment blocks, to proactively facilitate residents who wish to charge their vehicles using their own domestic tariffs. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, apartment charging grant provides an 80% subsidy towards works to facilitate home charging in apartment car parks. However … sure the technology exists - is subsidised chargers, either stand-alone or at lamp posts, that allow users to charge using their own home tariff with a login password or fob. Policy guidelines could be put together in a matter of weeks. Laws could be enacted in a matter

Yesterday afternoon Deputy Nash and I attended a briefing on tariffs and trade with senior officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs. It was also attended by other Opposition Deputies. I thank the Minister and Tánaiste, Deputy Harris, for setting up that briefing at my request … very conscious that we are facing a particular crunch point next week with the prospect of US tariffs. There is deep concern around the country about the impact they are likely to have on jobs, the economy and the prospects for achieving the necessary change in terms

time that is being failed or neglected, the Minister of State will find us here standing up for the values we believe in. Tariffs are of course going to be a threat to Ireland and the broader EU. We should work in unison with our EU partners … advance diplomacy. Nobody wins in a tariff war. Trump is bringing this to the table based on ego and being a vile person and we should not neglect to stand up for ourselves. I wonder what our EU counterparts thought of the Government’s St. Patrick

Apparently, that was a success. That very same day we woke up and were told that our EU partners were being hit with tariffs of substantial amounts and we said nothing. The next day we were told that Irish alcohol imports would be hit with massive tariffs

recently pointed out to me in west Cork by a very intelligent man who said that the first people to implement any tariffs in this country were the Irish. If you tried to bring a vehicle in from England, you pay something called VRT or some other fancy … kind of name. There was no problem putting tariffs on vehicles when it suited us to do so. I want to move on to the meeting between the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, and Donald Trump. I fully agree that he was right to meet with Donald Trump, particularly

Tóibín asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his contribution to the decisions by the EU to retaliate to the threatened US tariffs; his contribution to the selection of targets for this retaliation with the selection of US bourbon manufacturers putting the Irish whiskey sector in danger … further retaliatory tariffs from the US; and the manner in which he has fed into, contributed or influenced these decisions. [14190/25

Minister for Foreign Affairs the contribution the Government has made to the decisions by the EU to retaliate to the threatened US tariffs; the contribution the Government has had to the selection of targets for this retaliation; the selection of US bourbon manufacturers that has put the Irish … whiskey sector in danger of further retaliatory tariffs from the US; and the way in which the Government has fed into, contributed or influenced these decisions. [13141/25

Enterprise, Trade and Employment the representations he has made to the European Commission regarding ensuring the potential exposure of Irish whiskey to US tariffs is reduced; and if they, in recent months, have sought that whiskey not be an item included in the EU's retaliatory tariffs. [13144/25

asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment in view of the recent ESRI report on the adverse impact on the economy if tariffs were imposed by the United States, the measures being prepared to protect employment in sectors that are heavily dependent on export markets

asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the efforts being made by his Department to mitigate against the potential threat of tariffs and their impact on Irish farmers and agri-food producers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13811/25

Marine if he envisages the need for supports for farmers and Irish food producers in the event of the introduction or increase of tariffs on the sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13380/25

Marine if there are contingency plans in place to support farmers and agri-food producers in the event of an increase in tariffs on the sectors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13789/25

Agriculture, Food and the Marine the engagement he has had with Government colleagues and European counterparts with regard to the threat of tariffs on food produce from Ireland and Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13817/25