Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Thank you, Deputy. I just want to deal with one question and then I’m going to propose that we take just a short break.

Minister Noonan, the former Attorney General, Paul Gallagher, described Ireland as "isolated" on the night of the guarantee and the time of the ... and this would imply that the nation was very much on its own, that there wasn't a friend in Europe, either in a national parliament or at a broader institutional level, and that Ireland was very much there in an isolated position. At the time of taking office, can you describe your perception of the nature and effectiveness of Ireland's relationship at a European level and, in particular, with the ECB and, further to that, what actions, if any, have been taken to strengthen or maintain Ireland's relationship within Europe and how active is our diplomatic engagement with European institutions today?