Michael McDowell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State and join in the congratulations to him on his appointment. I wish him well in discharging his functions in relation to EU affairs. I share what Deputy Haughey said about the Minister of State’s good performance on television from Westmeath. It was noted internationally.

I wish to raise two points. The Minister of State dealt with them to some extent. On Georgia, the foreign agents law is a disturbing development. I noticed that the US State Department made it crystal clear to the Georgian Government that was unacceptable. I think the EU is taking the same stance. We have to be conscious of the fact that it is, effectively, a mirror image of Russian law. If Georgia wants to be part of the European family, it has to adopt European standards of openness. It cannot possibly be serious about progressing an application for EU membership while, at the same time, going in the other direction, so to speak. The Minister of State mentioned the ambassador. He has almost established a branch office in Leinster House at this stage. I hope that message gets through to him, in one way or another.

On the Windsor Framework, I fully appreciate that it is a sensitive issue. Without asking the Minister of State to become involved in any domestic UK matter, I take it that parliamentary approval is, as his statement made clear, something that has to happen. There is a danger that if it goes on too long, there will be a loss of momentum. As other things happen with asylum-seeking in the UK and the like, it is important we do not allow too much grass to grow under our feet in relation to where the DUP is. It has to be given time and I understand that, and perhaps the Ulster Unionist Party as well. We can take our time but I think the Minister of State would agree with me that there has to be momentum too. We cannot have it just sag or lie on the shelf.