Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will be brief. I am involved in legislation before the Seanad so I will not take up much of Mr. Hackett's time but I wanted to take the opportunity while he was here to thank him for his service and for what he has done for this country in Brussels and abroad. The volume of work put in by our people on the ground throughout Europe and the effort that has been made to keep Ireland’s needs out in front has not gone unnoticed. It is amazing how a small little country like ours can have such an impact. The staff working at all levels need to be assured of our gratitude for the work that is being done.

I have a brief question and I will not be present to hear the answer but I will follow up on it. As we lose the UK, alliances will become important but they will be mixed. In the agriculture sector, for example, we might look towards France. In the financial services sector, we might look towards Germany. Have we assessed each member state to see where the strengths or the commonality exist? Have we got a checkerboard, so to speak, now whereby if an issues comes up we can say we need to talk to A, B, C, D and E on that particular issue and move across the alliances as we need them? I am sure the work is being done but I would like to hear Mr. Hackett's perspective on it. Sadly, I will have to read the reply. I thank the witnesses for their attendance and please forgive the way we bob in and out of the meeting. I know it was discussed in the media recently that people pop in, ask a question and leave but the nature of the job requires us to do that.