Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will be as brief as possible because we do not want to keep the European Ombudsman waiting. We are anxious to hear what she has to say. I thank the MEPs for attending. We will not get to have an exchange of views because we have had a series of statements. The committee needs to work on that for the future.

I will not address Brexit because it was dealt with by previous speakers. The committee has considered the future of Europe. We had a series of meetings and we are finalising a report. The Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy McEntee, has conducted a public consultation process. While something is happening, we all have to make a greater effort to engage with citizens regarding the future direction of Europe. Many politicians have made statements. President Macron and Mr. Jean-Claude Juncker have outlined their visions and the European Commission has put forward a series of options. From the point of view of balance, the EU is either a union of sovereign nation states or a federal united states of Europe. That covers a wide spectrum and we need to be tuned in to that debate. Most Irish people see it as a union of sovereign nation states but there is a move towards more integration. The Franco-German axis is reappearing, which is a threat to smaller nation states. These are fundamental issues about which we need to be conscious.

I have a question but the MEPs will not have an opportunity to answer it. The UK is leaving, regrettably. It was an ally on many of the key issues that Ireland faces in the EU, including the CAP, tax sovereignty, corporation tax rates, immigration and mandatory quotas, security and defence, Cohesion Funds, and the principle of subsidiarity. Cohesion Funds are important for central and eastern European member states and, therefore, we need to forge new alliances on theses issues now that the UK is going. I will not get a response to that but I have no doubt that our MEPs will take up the challenge in that regard.