It has been reported that the Government is one of the leading voices seeking to exempt financial asset managers and institutional investors from the scope of the corporate sustainability and due diligence directive under discussion by the EU. This is highly significant because financial institutions, assets and institutional investments have some of the highest greenhouse gas emissions in the world. If the reports are true, this would be a retrograde step by the Government in a week when its Ministers are at COP27 to signal their support for climate action and tackling greenhouse gas emissions in the face of a global crisis. Is the Government seeking to exclude financial asset managers and institutional investors from the scope of the EU corporate sustainability and due diligence directive?

I am not fully up to date on that and will have to ask the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, to respond to the Deputy.