Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the ambassador. The Senator has covered a very broad agenda, one probably well beyond the scope we have asked the ambassador here to discuss. I am probably going to add to that. I have three questions. My first builds on the initial commentary by Deputy Calleary. He talked about a sense of a lack of cohesion, if you like, on the day France took over, though it was not France's fault. Since then, because of events, the degree of focus, determination and solidarity has astounded even ourselves. There has been the focus on the vaccines, on our response to the Russian aggression against Ukraine and indeed on solidarity with Ireland in the context of the protocol. The French Presidency coincided with the French election cycle and there was a real battle, if you like, over what the outcome would be and a belief in and significant vote for those who want to withdraw from the European Union itself. This is an organisation Ireland has been a member of for 50 years and has invested so much in. I cannot think of any parallel organisation that is so fundamental to our well-being to which there is periodically an existential threat. I do not know whether the ambassador has a view on that. It cannot be that an institution that is so structurally important to us in Europe can be undermined by a particular election cycle at any event. Is that to be a permanent feature of the Union? Is there a thought on that?

My second question is related to that. I wish to amplify a question Deputy Ó Murchú asked because I am not clear on the vision of France in relation to how it envisages connecting non-EU core members to Europe. The phrase used as shorthand is "two-tier" Europe. Is it a bilateral relationship on an individual country basis that is different in each case and unique in each case? How does France see the deepening of the core members and how a relationship with non-core members might be developed in the future? I just am not clear on the French vision on that.

My final question is on Africa. The ambassador talked about the dialogue that was very important between the EU and Africa. What was the outcome of that in terms of the normal declarations and so on? Is there a real strategy to ensure Europe is as competitive in Africa for the hearts and souls of people as China clearly is at present? We have been talking for a very long time about the migration issue and the solution being an investment in Africa and the European neighbourhood such that there is not an economic imperative on people to migrate to Europe because there is an economic future for them at home. What is the ambassador's view on that?