Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am in an awkward position because I was thinking about what I would say when I was sitting opposite as a committee member. Perhaps our guests will forgive me if I continue with those thoughts because I wanted, like everybody else, to thank them for being with us today and to welcome their presentations.

It goes without saying that the formation of alliances and friendship groups is more important now within the European Union that it was at the beginning of European integration. I will continue on the theme of my colleague, Deputy Seán Haughey, on which I take a contrary position.

We are not so much a bold child, but we are seen as a child who might have a problem within the association of which we have become members and whose problem might become the Union's problem at a later stage if not attended to. It is very important that we learn from this and that we use our position strategically to intone the importance of forming alliances and listening to each other. We can have alliances with bigger countries and smaller countries to our advantage and to theirs - in our case to learn where they are coming from, where they are going and what their interests are, and at the same time for them to learn from us and for us to learn from them.

This phrase "bringing Europe closer to the people" has become a theme across Europe. I have always held the view that we have to bring the people closer to Europe. If the people of Europe do not have a commitment to the European strategy, it is a waste of time. We can bring them as close as we like; it will not make any difference. The opinion polls in this country indicate the people are closer to Europe because the people have now focused on Europe in a way that we have not had to do since our membership began. When looking at Europe we see it as part of us as opposed to the reverse. I do not want to be critical of our good friends and colleagues across the water in the UK. However, in many situations that have emerged over the years they have adopted the opposite approach: that the European system should become more in line with what they have themselves.

In contrast to that, way back when Ireland aligned itself to the German monetary system as opposed to sterling, that was an important move. It brought us into the centre of Europe and made us aware of the kind of territory in which we had to operate. It also made them aware of a smaller country. It was a very important exercise and that needs to continue.

If we were considering the future without the dialogue among smaller countries and between smaller countries and bigger countries, we would make a grave mistake. I have had, as we all have had, interaction with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, which did a great service to what was needed at that time. Various EU member states can move on to a different challenge, to meet the new challenge as it comes, and deal with it in a way that we have not had to do before, ensuring that Europe and the European project remain on-stream because if it does not and one block is dislodged from that European brickwork one at a time, then the Europe as originally intended will cease to be.

I am saddened to hear from time to time expressions to the effect that people want their freedom from Europe. They should reconsider what that means. In recent weeks one person when interviewed on television said of the modern Europe that since the end of the Second World War, we have had the longest period of peace in the history of Europe. That is his greatest thing to say, but it says it all. It says it all that the European project was the best, most important and single biggest peace project worldwide in the history of the globe. That is something we need to bear in mind in the future.

There is an obvious need for dialogue between all countries at the moment, which is a good thing. It is good to make ourselves understood and to be understood. By the same token as we proceed into the next phase of the Brexit era, we need to recognise that we have a story to tell and we wish to hear the story of others.