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

I have a related question. I would like to thank Ms O'Connell and her colleagues for beating the elements and for coming in to the committee today. The meeting has been impacted by the weather. I also thank them for all the work they do. It is really appreciated by the Oireachtas.

Brexit has been a big wake-up call for all EU citizens in how we do our business. Ms O'Connell referred to the RedC polls. I believe there has been more of an appreciation of the EU since Brexit by citizens right across Europe and in Ireland. I thank the witness for presenting the facts. The European Movement Ireland submission deals with a lot of the technical issues, which we do not get in the mainstream media, even The Irish Times. Some of the less sexy issues are outlined in the submission, after each Council meeting, and this is much appreciated. I also appreciate the work being done by European Movement Ireland around transparency in the EU institutions.

My question follows on from that of the Vice Chairman and relates to the citizens' dialogue on the future of Europe that is being held throughout Ireland by European Movement Ireland. It is a very good exercise and I know that the Minister of State, Deputy Helen McEntee, is co-ordinating this. For the benefit of the committee will Ms O'Connell outline some of the issues being raised at those meetings? I presume PESCO is perhaps featuring and, as Ms O'Connell has already said, a connection deficit between EU institutions and citizens. Perhaps Ms O'Connell will give a summary of the issues raised within the citizens' dialogues.