Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)

I will come in on a few issues. First, I absolutely agree with Ms O'Connell's last comment on enlargement. It has stalled slightly and there is an obligation on the Commission to reignite that process.

In the poll, the influence question is important. I put on record my support for the work EMI does on the publication of positions available in Europe at all levels. As a committee, what can we do to help promote the careers available in the institutions in Europe for Irish graduates or at whatever level it might be? Our influence wanes when we do not take those positions.

I have heard the line about nationalising success and Europeanising failure before. It is tremendously important and it happens quite often here. We as politicians are the most guilty of it because we all work hard and often do not get credit for the work we do, so we want to take credit when something is in our wheelhouse. There is often a propensity to talk about us and Europe as though they are two separate things. As a committee, what does Ms O'Connell see as something we can do to promote the notion that we are Europe and that when we criticise Europe, we are criticising ourselves because we sit around that table as equal partners?

I want to ask about the change in the question on a united Ireland. I noticed it has changed from whether people see it happening to whether they would be in favour of it. Why was that change made? What is the import of the slightly different result?

The issue of whether people feel their views are adequately represented at European level appears in question 10 of the survey. I would not necessarily make the same comments as Senator Andrews in ascribing motives to President von der Leyen, but I do think and am on record as saying that the way she behaved in late 2023, after the attacks on Israel and the subsequent disproportionate response from Israel, when she stood with an Israeli minister who openly stated he would break international law and said she supported him was appalling. She has apologised since, but that time, and comments since, have distanced the Commission from Irish people who see the inconsistency of the approach by the Commission. In the result of question 10 - there are different groups - the 35-44 age group is the group that says most significantly that it does not feel its views are represented and women in that group feel their views are not represented. Will Ms O'Connell comment on that as well?