Frank O'Rourke (Kildare North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the MEPs for coming before the committee today. I will touch on some points briefly because I realise we are conscious of time. There is a major discussion around engagement and meeting. Surely it is not beyond possibility to get a timetable to match Oireachtas Members, including Senators and Deputies, with MEPs to enable them to meet up on a more frequent basis. I was elected in 2016. I am not aware of any regular or frequent meetings to exchange views.

Perhaps the reason Brexit has happened is because many people have felt in general terms a disconnect between national and European politicians. Many may take the view that much of the policy and legislation is being given to them in a dictatorial way rather than their having an input into how it affects them. That is important because when we meet people on the street on a weekly or daily basis, they say their issue is that they are not being listened to and that some of the policies and legislation that come through are not reflective of their views or of how they affect people. There is an understanding that there is a major disconnect between Europe in different countries, including Ireland, as well as between the various stakeholders, including businesses and private individuals. We need to consider how that can be resolved and dealt with before it becomes a greater issue than it is at the moment.

One outcome from Brexit is that it has brought this problem into focus. I have a suggestion for when the various policies that MEPs are involved in or shadowing are being drawn up and which affect Ireland. I suggest that process could be linked into the appropriate Department at national level. From there it could be sent to the various committees to get feedback.

There is no doubt that legislation is coming from Europe as it has done before. It has affected people across all sectors of the community in many ways. Europe has been positive, but negatives have been attached to it as well. Some of that has happened and people feel it at different levels. Politicians have had no input in that regard. That is an issue and it cannot be beyond the bounds of possibility. We should not be scratching our heads too much or wondering how we can communicate and engage better. That is something that we should consider and it should be possible to fix it easily enough.

I am keen to hear the views of the MEPs present and the views of their fellow MEPs. What is their view on the Irish position and special circumstances or status applying to us, given all the issues we know about? There is no point in me outlining them again. What is the view on protecting our interests as a small isolated island with a small population that depends heavily on exports? With that in mind, what discussions are happening regarding exports to the UK? It is a market on which we are heavily dependent. The same applies to exports via the UK. I know from being involved in the small and medium-sized business sector that this is a major problem. What discussions or supports are engaged, when this is happening at European level, to consolidate the Irish position and to ensure that it does not negatively impact on us, if at all? That is important especially in the food and agriculture sectors and everything that goes with them.

We are talking about Europe and the future of Europe. Many countries might start to think that it is trendy to leave Europe based on what happened in the United Kingdom. There is anecdotal evidence suggesting that if a referendum was put to people in other EU countries, they would consider leaving the EU. Bearing that in mind, what is being done at European level to ensure that Europe is seen as a positive thing and seen as coming back to engage with national governments and the people they are representing to ensure that it is all-inclusive and reflective? That piece of the jigsaw has been disconnected in recent years.