Latest news with #Simon Harris
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Trade deal includes ‘zero for zero' arrangement for aviation, says Simon Harris
The agreed trade deal between the European Union and the United States has secured a 'zero for zero' arrangement for aviation, Simon Harris has said. The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade wrote to the Government Trade Forum on Sunday night to say that while a 15 per cent baseline tariff was 'regrettable', it was the maximum tariff that could be imposed on the pharmaceutical sector even after the US administration's investigation into the sector's imports. He also confirmed that a 'zero for zero' agreement had also been secured for certain aircraft components, agricultural products and chemicals. The details were included in a letter sent by Mr Harris to the trade forum, which includes Government Ministers, State agencies, business organisations and trade unions. READ MORE In the letter, Mr Harris said that Sunday's agreement between European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and US president Donald Trump in Scotland will 'avoid tariffs of 30 per cent being imposed by the US on August 1st and will also avoid the EU imposing its own countermeasures'. Mr Harris described this as 'much-needed certainty for Irish, European and American businesses who together represent the most integrated trading relationship in the world'. 'While ultimately it is regrettable that the baseline tariff of 15 per cent is included in the agreement, it is important that we now have more certainty on the foundations for the EU-US trade relationship, which is essential for jobs, growth and investment. President von der Leyen described this as 15 per cent tariffs across the board and all-inclusive,' he said. 'We will examine the detail of the agreement in the coming days but it is our understanding from president von der Leyen that this rate of 15 per cent is a ceiling on any potential tariffs that may be imposed following the conclusion of the section 232 investigations, including those relating to pharmaceuticals and semiconductors. The EU will continue to work with the US to underline the closely integrated nature of the EU and US pharmaceutical sector.' 'While the baseline tariff is 15 per cent, there are important exclusions from that, including a zero-for-zero arrangement on aviation. Ireland had made the case throughout these negotiations for zero-for-zero arrangements in as many sectors as possible.' [ EU pushing to cap future tariffs on pharma in US deal Opens in new window ] 'The commission president has also confirmed that there has been agreement on zero tariff levels on a number of key strategic products – including all aircraft and component parts, certain chemicals, certain agricultural products, semiconductor equipment, natural resources and critical raw materials. As the framework negotiations continue, the EU will keep working to add more products.' He told the forum that the Irish Government will now be examining the 'full implications' of the agreement on the all-island economy, including any differential tariff rates on either side of the Border. He said the Government will also now be looking into the 'implications' of a 15 per cent tariff rate.
Irish Times
17-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Government ‘feckless' with public money, Social Democrats claim in budget row
The Government has been 'reckless and feckless' with public money and is following a 'cynical giveaway budget ' last year by now 'moralising' on fiscal responsibility, a Social Democrats TD has claimed. Tánaiste Simon Harris however accused Jennifer Whitmore of 'hypocrisy' and asked which one-off payment from Budget 2025 the Social Democrats would have cut from double child benefit payments, carer's allowance or fuel allowance. But Ms Whitmore said her party had called for 'targeted' supports last year and would not have spent €100 million on energy credits for holiday homes as she accused the Government of being 'epic wasters'. During testy exchanges on the last day of the Dáil before the summer recess, the budget and the cost of living dominated Leaders' Questions for the third day this week. READ MORE Sinn Féin finance spokesman Pearse Doherty insisted there had to be a cost-of-living package as he pointed to a 63,000 increase in the past four months in the number of people in arrears on their electricity bills. The energy regulator issued figures showing more than 300,000 people are behind on their electricity and a further 175,000 are in arrears on their gas bill. Irish consumers are paying 'far and above' what other European Union countries are paying for energy. Families 'simply can't absorb this type of shock to their finances' and the Government plan is to 'cancel the energy credits they so desperately need and relied on', Mr Doherty said, accusing the Government of having 'all the wrong priorities'. The Tánaiste insisted the Government is helping households 'in the here and now', retaining the 9 per cent VAT rate on gas and electricity, expanding the fuel allowance to thousands more people, reducing childcare costs, providing free school meals, books and footwear allowances and increasing public-sector pay. [ Irish Times poll: Support for Government parties holds steady as Sinn Féin slumps Opens in new window ] He also claimed there had been an 'air of unreality' to Sinn Féin's contributions. Mr Harris said Mr Doherty spent a lot of time saying to the Government ''You don't understand. You're out of touch'' but he said he knows 'who owns SuperValu ' and it was not an American multinational. He was referring to comments Mr Doherty made during a cost-of-living debate when he said the supermarket chain was owned by a US company United Foods. Mr Harris said: 'You'd have to go back a very long time to find a summer recess in which we have seen a moment of greater economic uncertainty.' He claimed Sinn Féin did not want to talk about trade or tariffs or the '48,000 people who work in pharma in this country' and global uncertainty. 'You've never seen something you don't want to spend more money on. But we have to be honest with the Irish people. We can't just keep saying 'spend, spend, spend'.' Mr Doherty said the cost-of-living crisis had widened significantly and 'prices across the board are pushing households to the brink'. He added 'it's not lost' on families 'being hammered by rip-off prices' that the energy companies are recording bumper profits, with the ESB recording profits of more than €1 billion in 2023 and 2024, while SSE Airtricity made 'hundreds of millions' in the past two years. Ms Whitmore told the Tánaiste that 'having splashed the cash in an attempt to buy votes last year, your message suddenly changed. Now that an election is no longer on the cards, one-off payments are a bad idea.' But Mr Harris said the one-off measures served a purpose 'at a time of extraordinarily high inflation'.
BreakingNews.ie
17-07-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Government branded ‘epic wasters' amid cost of living concerns
The Government has been branded 'epic wasters' and accused of throwing public money around like 'snuff at a wake', as the opposition hit out over escalating energy bills and the cost of living. Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore told the Dail on Thursday that there is a growing sense of concern about the future, describing it as 'economic clouds' on the horizon. Advertisement She accused the Government of attempting to buy votes last year in its one-off budget payouts just weeks before the general election. 'The reality, Tánaiste (Simon Harris), is that you've been throwing public money around like snuff at a wake,' she said. She said that Government spending has increased by 50 per cent in recent years. 'In 2020 it cost 70 billion to run the country. We've gone from spending 70 billion to nearly 110 billion this year, 40 billion more in the budget, Tánaiste,' she added. Advertisement 'But what do we have to show for it? We have a housing crisis that's spiralling out of control. We have record homelessness. We have disability services that are threadbare. We have soaring levels of child poverty. 'We have a cost of living crisis that is escalating, and we have energy and water infrastructure that is crumbling. 'But coupled with that, there is a lot of frustration with the Government's moralising about this budget. Having splashed the cash in an attempt to buy votes last year, your message has suddenly changed now that an election is no longer on the cards.' She continued: 'Tanaiste, the reality is this Government, you're epic wasters, you've wasted time, you have wasted opportunity, and you have wasted generational opportunity to invest in a better future, and you've wasted our money. Advertisement 'That is why people feel so let down. They feel disillusioned. 'They listen to you pat yourself on the back for your prudent financial management while they struggle with the very basics, they struggle to keep roof over their head, to keep their electricity on and food on their table.' Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty said that figures published by the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU) show that there are hundreds of thousands of households of people behind in arrears on their electric and gas bills. He criticised the Government's refusal to commit to another round of energy credits in the October budget. Advertisement Mr Doherty said: 'The number of households in arrears on their electricity and gas bills have jumped by 70,000 households in the last year. 'That means that there are now over 300,000 households behind on their electricity bills, and over 175,000 households behind on their gas bills. Just let that sink in for a moment Tanaiste. 'Because today, as the Dáil breaks up for the summer, hundreds of thousands of working families can't meet their bills for heating and lighting their home. That is disgraceful. Simon Harris told the Dáil on Thursday that there is a 'real problem' regarding energy prices in Ireland (Grainne Ni Aodha/PA) 'Is it any wonder, when we've seen their bills shoot up by hundreds of euros over the last number of years, and families simply can't absorb this type of shock to their finances, and now your plan is to cancel the energy credits that they so desperately need and relied on. Advertisement 'You dig in and you continue to refuse to agree for a cost of living package in October's budget. And of course, there's those on fixed incomes who are at greater risk of poverty and they need greater support. 'But this ever worsening cost of living crisis is widening and has widened significantly more and more families, more and more working people, are struggling to get by, and even families with two incomes coming into the house find it harder than ever to keep up with the bills.' Mr Harris told the Dáil that there is a 'real problem' regarding energy prices in Ireland. He said he acknowledges the pressure which increased energy costs are putting on families, households and businesses. The Fine Gael leader said the Government is 'seeking' ways to lower the prices and speed up the pace of renewable development. 'That's why we've established a new National Energy Affordability Taskforce (NEAT) to look at the structural reforms which we can undertake in this country to reduce the cost of energy and to reduce the cost of electricity. 'It's expected to come back with an interim plan to look at issues around energy efficiency, upgrade the social protection supports we have in place, the CRU customer protection measures, and indeed, further efforts that we can provide to incentivise tariff switching and the savings that we can make for households and for consumers in relation to that. 'We are taking measures in the here and now to assist people with the cost of living.'
Irish Times
15-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Cern decision by Cabinet opens up particle research opportunities for Ireland
Ireland's long journey to membership of Cern , one of the world's largest centres for scientific research, has reached its destination following a Cabinet decision. It opens up opportunities for Irish companies, scientists, students and wider society to reap the benefits of working in the world's most famous particle laboratory in Switzerland. The European Organisation for Nuclear Research (Cern) is home to the Large Hadron Collider, a huge underground ring in which protons – one of the constituent particles of an atom – are accelerated close to the speed of light and collided into one another. It was used to discover the Higgs boson, the so-called 'god particle', which gives matter mass and holds the physical fabric of the universe together. [ Q&A: It promises to boost research, industry and education. So, why has it taken so long for Ireland to join Cern? Opens in new window ] Many technologies developed at Cern have gone on to have applications in medicine, space, energy and ICT, such as the world wide web and touch-sensitive technology in smartphones. READ MORE 'Associate membership of Cern will demonstrate Ireland's commitment to science and reaffirm our reputation as a centre for scientific investment,' said Tánaiste Simon Harris after the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. 'It will create opportunities for Irish researchers, students and industry to join world-class teams at Cern, and it will give Cern access to Ireland's talent and expertise.' 'Having personally advocated for Ireland's associate membership of Cern for a long time, it is a pleasure to officially announce [we] will join Cern in October this year. Today's Cabinet approval is a milestone which authorises the final legal steps,' said Minister for Science James Lawless . University College Dublin, whose physicists have been involved in Cern research for many years, said it is to expand its particle research capacity following Ireland's decision to become a member country. UCD vice-president for research, innovation and impact, Prof Kate Robson Brown said: 'This is a very important step for Ireland, to take our place in Europe's largest scientific organisation, which enables collaborations with the best researchers, institutions and companies all over the world.'
Irish Times
15-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Delay on health labelling on alcohol comes amid uncertain trading environment
The expected deferral of health labelling on alcohol products is a signal of just how nervous the Government is about the present trading and economic environment. At a time when businesses and exporters are facing unprecedented uncertainty about trading conditions, Ministers were reluctant to add another cost for something many say is important, but fewer believe is urgent. [ Health labelling on alcoholic drinks set to be deferred until 2029 ] The planned introduction of the law next year would have made Ireland the first country in the world to insist on health warnings on bottles containing alcoholic drinks. Retailers would be obliged to ensure every container that contains alcohol carries the messages that 'drinking alcohol causes liver disease' and 'there is a direct link between alcohol and fatal cancers'. READ MORE Insiders say the decision to postpone, likely to be approved by Cabinet next week, is also testament to the fierce lobbying by the drinks industry in recent months. This took place at many levels, not least of which was the trade forum convened by Tánaiste Simon Harris to discuss business fears and to suggest ways of addressing them. The issue of alcohol labelling has been raised at every single meeting, one person familiar with the issue says. In his letter to the members of the trade forum on Tuesday, Mr Harris acknowledged this. 'Members of the forum also raised the issue regarding alcohol labelling and its potential impact,' Harris said. 'The Government will consider this matter next week. We are fully committed to the implementation of this public health policy. However, it is imposing costs on businesses at a time of great challenge and the Government is reflecting on that.' Indeed, insiders say the decision to defer the introduction of alcohol labelling has been inevitable for some time. Ministers have been muttering in public for months about 'looking at this issue again'. In private, many were a good deal more forthright. But various elements of the drinks industry had been lobbying against the measures since long before it was legislated for two years ago, but they failed to stop it. So what changed in recent months? According to people involved in the issue in Government, it was the transformed environment due to US president Donald Trump's import tariffs that proved decisive in persuading the Ministers to back a deferral of the measure until 2029. Alcohol products – whether US bourbon, Irish whiskey or French wine – have been touted by both sides as potential targets in a trade war. Suddenly, it seemed like a bad time to be piling additional costs on producers and retailers. For anti-alcohol campaigners, the news will be a bitter blow. 'The eyes of the world are on Ireland,' Prof Frank Murray, chair of Alcohol Action Ireland , wrote in The Irish Times earlier this year. That may be all the more true now.
