Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I agree entirely with the Minister. We must all stand up to racism and the exploitation by the far right of the current state of great flux. However, we must acknowledge, too, that the failure of the centre and some of the left to point out the shortcomings of Europe and the need for reform at the heart of the EU have helped the right to exploit the situation and turn it in a racist direction. We must broaden out the discussion so that it is no longer just about Northern Ireland but the whole European project and the core problems with that project. As I noted earlier, we have seen the EU moving away from what it was originally intended to be, namely, a Union of the people with a shared agenda. Instead, we have seen the emergence of a Europe of corporate interests and bankers' agendas. If the left and centre fail to make that argument, it is inevitable the far right will exploit it.