Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the ambassador. I thank him for his presentation and for providing the committee in advance with a detailed copy of Italy's agenda for its Presidency over the next six months. If we as politicians have learned anything from the recent European elections, it is that the citizens of Europe are not content with the way we have been operating the Union for their benefit. That is obvious from the increases in the level of euroscepticism and in the number of eurosceptic MEPs. I suppose this is a challenge for all of us. Unfortunately or fortunately, the challenge will be led by the Italian Presidency. I would like to get a better understanding of how Italy intends to address the issues that arose from the recent election, such as the growth in euroscepticism and the recognition that something is not right from the point of view of citizens. The elected Members who are often referred to as the political elite are frequently accused of not being in touch with the public. If we are to reach out to citizens across Europe, what needs to be done to regain their trust and confidence in the European project? That is my first question. It is not just a challenge for the sake of a challenge. The success or failure of the efforts of Italy and all member states that are pro-European will hinge on how we protect against the gradual break-up of the Union. We do not know whether our nearest neighbour will be successful in its efforts to exit the Union.

It appears the British Prime Minister will facilitate the British people having an opportunity to vote on the question. A UK exit would signal a difficult period ahead as it could start a gradual break-up for the European Union. How does Italy propose to address this significant problem? While other issues such as financial matters and the need to create jobs and growth are very much part of the problem, the bigger issue, one that we have failed to address, is the perception of what the Union is and should be.