Joe O'Reilly (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I join in the welcome to Mr. Erwan Fouéré. It has always been the Irish Government's policy to support enlargement and that is what we wish for in terms of spreading the peace, increasing markets and a range of other reasons in favour of enlargement. Having said that, the report is disturbing to the extent that it cites a lack of progress in readiness in the Balkan states. We cannot have accession without the necessary internal reform. I support the initiatives set out for greater involvement, greater benchmarking and closer administrative monitoring. Is Mr. Fouéré of the view that we need the carrot and stick approach? We need benchmarking and controls.

My colleague, Deputy Seán Kyne, cites the LGBT issue. If the treatment of people is wrong, if there are inhumane practices and barbaric medieval laws and practices, it is difficult to positively intervene. Is there room for us to give practical support in terms of infrastructure or investment to try to bring these countries along? It is difficult because it is a chicken and egg situation. If we leave them as they are, nothing happens. If we invest in them while their human rights record, the rule of law and the justice systems are not in order, we are supporting something that is anathema to our core values. How does Mr. Fouéré reconcile that? Is there a practical way around it? Unless we can intervene to a greater extent in a practical way, we cannot bring people with us. However, we cannot condone the practices identified by Deputy Seán Kyne.

I share the interest of Deputy Eric Byrne on Mr. Fouéré's reflections on the Ukraine. To what extent does he think Europe was the catalyst by being overambitious? Is it that Putin is the reincarnation of an old-style tsar with insatiable militaristic and territorial ambitions? Perhaps it would not have mattered how we behaved. With regard to the Ukraine, what does Mr. Fouéré think of the chances of the current tripartite government given its eastern difficulty? Can it succeed? Other colleagues, who are not present at this meeting, went to the Ukraine to monitor the elections and came home with a level of optimism.