Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the ambassador to the meeting and I apologise for not being here to listen to her presentation. I extend best wishes to her country on its Presidency of the EU. We appreciate the economic difficulties across the European Union which are a challenge for all politicians and in particular for the EU Presidency. The ambassador stated that one of the main principles is to enhance civic and societal engagement with the EU. How challenging has it become to promote the ideals and benefits of the European Union? In her view, will the economic crisis have a negative effect on the perception of citizens about the Union?