Dr. Barry Colfer:

Regarding whether the treaty can be used for enlargement as it is, I will defer to the professor for the specifics on treaty provisions, but as I said in the last point I made in response to Deputy Howlin, even if it can be, I would handle that with great care. Trying to persuade a French or Irish public that we can enlarge without asking them would be deeply unpopular.

On the size of the European Commission, I think someone acknowledged that our experience with the Lisbon treaty boiled down to several things but that was the most prominent and lasting. Other small member state think tanks often state that Ireland helped to protect one Commissioner per member state. I would be gobsmacked if that were to change; I would oppose it.

To the Deputy's point, ratification will be difficult. It always is. It was just a comment so I will move on.

What the Deputy said about countries acting bilaterally when it gets difficult already happens when it comes to aid for Ukraine. When the EU becomes logjammed, whether it is Hungary or something else, aid can still flow but it would be from capital to capital rather than via the level of the EU.

I will make a few comments about appointments and the horse-trading that happens in the aftermath of the European elections, who gets what and having to strike a delicate balance between geography, political hue, gender, who got something last time and who gets something this time. I do not see it as unseemly. The Deputy referred to it as raw politics in action. It is one of the most important times in the EU's life cycle and a time when citizens may gripe and complain but it is when the EU feels at its most democratic. I would be sad to see that go but that is my area of interest. When Commissioners present to the relevant parliamentary committees, we saw important interventions by Irish MEPs last time round to ensure the people in these important jobs are up to the mark. It will not change before next June, next June being the next European elections.

On the European Parliament's proposals, there is an important one to flip what happens. Currently, in the composition of the Commission, the European Council nominates Commissioners and then the European Parliament votes on whether to accept them. Historically, before the Lisbon treaty, the Parliament could only accept as a whole. It was all of the Commissioners or none. Now, it is done one by one, as I am sure the Deputy knows. The Parliament proposes that it should, taking account of the results of the European Parliament elections, nominate Commissioners, which is then confirmed by the Council. I see that being deeply unpopular, needless to say, with member states but it is what Parliament has asked for.