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

No, on the day of the European election. This would give the people the chance to decide who a replacement candidate would be.

How do we address the problems now arising in the European Union? If we the people of Europe continue in the direction in which we are headed, we will see an end to the Europe which we inherited at the beginning of this century. This would be a sad development. It is inevitable this will happen if we do not get in front of the issues perceived to be causing concern which are alienating Europe from the people. We have spent much time making Europe more relevant and part of the people. It has reached over the national administrations to deal directly with the people, which is not such a good idea. We need to address those issues.

Why are so many people anti-European? Why is there a growing number of people vehemently indisposed towards the European concept? Why do we allow legislation to pass, albeit coming from Brussels but originating from our own national institutions, which then comes back to bite us on the tail and generates antipathy towards the European Union?

We distance ourselves from them and say we cannot have that appalling bureaucratic system. We have to join up all the systems and the thinking and try to return to where we were in terms of encouraging European people to take possession of Europe. Each member state has a duty to take possession of the European project. Once they move away from taking ownership of the European project, for whatever reason, the project will die.