Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is on the CSRs, the semester and the way we go forward. The recent elections should have us all focused on developments in the European Union and in the individual member states. That is happening here. One of my concerns is the dramatic advance of extreme views in the European Union and the extreme views of the representatives elected to the European Parliament. In the past, when people sought to address issues of economic insecurity in a similar fashion, it brought about serious disaster. I am concerned that we are heading in that direction again. Extreme views are emerging on the hard right and the hard left. If that continues, the result will be disastrous and every country in the European Union, including this country, will pay the highest price. Those who pretend that will not happen should read their history more carefully.

The same set of circumstances prevailed in the 1930s as have prevailed in the past four or five years. People in the United States at least made an attempt to confront and resolve their problems, and did so, but in Europe people turned on each other. The Chairman will attend the COSAC meeting in the next few days. I strongly urge that he and his colleagues in the EU bring this to the attention of all the authorities in Europe and ask why these people were elected to represent these extreme views. What is the purpose or objective, where are they going, who sent them there and for what purpose? Perhaps the Chairman can return with the answers to those questions. The Minister should peruse some of those issues with a view to giving us at least an insight into what might be the response. If there is no response, I guarantee it will be too late five years hence.