Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would like to raise one or two points in conclusion. I would like to take a moment to talk about John Bruton. I had the privilege of knowing John since I was a teenager. He was one of the people fundamental to me in shaping my politics and why I got involved in the Fine Gael political party. There are so many occasions and things that I could talk about. There are two things I want to focus on. At the very start, as a member of and later on as head of the youth movement, there was his absolute passion for Europe and his desire to instil in young people how important Europe was and what Europe as an institution came out of. We forget sometimes that it was the collective answer to war across a continent that had destroyed Europe for centuries. It was also about what it could be for Ireland. We were only members for ten or 12 years and he saw that potential. He always fought within the Irish political system to deliver that. It is a real credit. So many of the benefits that not just we as members of the Joint Committee on European Union Affairs but people have in this country today, including social and economic benefits from how Ireland has transformed, come from some of the incredible work that was done by John throughout his public life.

After he finished here as a parliamentarian, he chose to be the European ambassador to Washington at a key point when Europe needed to build and strengthen that relationship. As a former Irish Taoiseach, the ability that he took into that and the access that he had in Washington was a tremendous strength for Europe in building that really important relationship at that time. He was incredibly helpful to many Irish people who wanted to engage with the American Administration of the time. For me, and I know it has been said by many people, when one forgets all the politics and the things that he did, it was always his laugh and humour. It was just the most infectious thing. If John decided he wanted to laugh, no one in the building would ever not hear him, because you could hear him from here to the far side of Kildare Street. That is what I will miss most. I just wanted to say that.

I thank the Minister of State for all his contributions right across the whole spectrum and for the work he does for us as Minister of State. It is a complex period. In our recent visit as a committee, we were able to see first-hand some of the really complex issues that face us. That nuanced approach that we as a country take, of building a coalition and bringing people with us, is so important. I was glad he mentioned that. We had some excellent meetings when we were there.

I am now going to do something that may be a bit mean and ask you a question which you do not have to answer if you do not want to. We met Commissioner McGuinness as well as Commissioner Šefovi . Do you think the Irish Government should nominate a man and a woman when we are looking at the replacement Commissionership after the next European elections? It was a principle we applied the last time and I think it stood us in very good stead.