John Halligan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the delegates and thank them for their contribution. We all are aware of the negative impact a UK exit from the European Union would have on the Irish economy, particularly the agricultural, food and drinks industries. The worst-case prediction is that it would affect our GDP by up to 3.1%, with the figure being 1.1% in a best-case scenario. There is no doubt it would have a detrimental effect on this country. Ireland is the only member state which has a border with the UK, which has its own particular consequences.

Many of us have travelled to Britain to meet members of the Government and Opposition there. I attended such meetings as part of a delegation representing European socialists. What we saw clearly is that there is a continuous opposition to the EU within the Conservative Party irrespective of what negotiations are actually taking place in Europe. Many of those people just want out and that is it. It was extraordinarily interesting to discover there are elements within the British Labour Party who are likewise sceptical about remaining in Europe, even if they do not voice that scepticism openly.

Reading the British newspapers, one gets the impression that for the people of Britain, this is really all about freedom of movement. The ordinary man in the street seems to be expressing the view that there are too many people from other countries living in Britain and that is the fault of the UK's EU membership. Even though that is a falsity, the fact remains that it will be extremely difficult to convince the British public otherwise. When the three main parties remain divided on the issue - not to mention the position promoted by UKIP, which polled quite well in the last election but did not get the seat numbers reflective of that - and the public is inclined towards the simplistic view that the UK should get out of Europe because of the apparent consequences of freedom of movement, it seems clear there are real dangers in terms of the outcome of the referendum.