Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I have a few questions and I want to pick up some of the points colleagues have raised. They are consistent with the discussions we have had with the academic and societal experts who have come before the committee so far.

Will the Minister of State elaborate on when we expect a conference chair to be appointed? Much seems to depend on who this person is or where the person comes from in terms of setting out the policy agenda. It is interesting to look at this in advance. I know much discussion and engagement is yet to happen. Can the Minister of State indicate at this stage what the policy priorities for the Government will be? The Minister of State has referred to the great work done at European level in responding to Covid-19. This has been especially highlighted in the past ten days in respect of vaccines and the fact that the EU has secured so many vaccines. It is stark. We must remember that Ireland outside the EU simply would not have had this access to pre-ordered vaccines. I hope they will be important in getting us back to normal sooner rather than later.

Deputy Howlin referred to some of the other areas that may be contentious, including our own resources and the future of the Union in a policy directive. Has the Government started to formulate any positions?

I wish to pick up on the point made by Deputy Calleary on treaty change. Understandably, the Minister of State gave a strong position to the effect that the Irish Government at this stage does not favour treaty change. Is that decision political or rooted in the policies or, as Deputy Howlin said, because of what is available within the Lisbon treaty?

When it comes to discussing the EU and the future of the EU we need to put aside the fear that we are one of the few member states which, if there is treaty change, has to put the matter to referendum. We need to accept that. If that happens, then so be it. However, we should not let it limit the conversation, especially if it leads to a better working European Union.

When we talk about a two-speed Europe, we need to be frank. Europe operates at multiple speeds. Some of us are members of the euro, some of us are not. Some European member states are more involved in PESCO, while others embrace it in a different way. This idea of a one-size-fits-all European Union of 27 different member states is a nonsense. We need to accept that it moves in separate ways.

It has been made clear in recent days, as Deputy Calleary has mentioned, that the issue is really that certain people do not want to agree with the core principles of the EU. We can move in different directions. It does not matter in the wider scheme if we have the euro and Denmark does not, but it does matter if people in Poland or Hungary cannot have their rights recognised. That is at the core and we need to stress it.

An interesting issue was raised relating to the Spitzenkandidat process. I travelled to Helsinki two years ago for the European People's Party to have a big debate between whether we would run Alexander Stubb or Manfred Weber.