Eric Byrne (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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I welcome the Minister of State and will begin my contribution by reminding him that I think I am sitting in the same seat he used to occupy. When I was elected to the Dáil, I was allocated the office of Deputy Rabbitte who had to vacate it because he was promoted to Minister. With the reshuffle coming down the line, am I on a trajectory? I am a big admirer of the Minister of State and very much value his contribution.

I want to follow up some issues he raised this morning. In respect of language, believe it or not but I do try to read my agendas and the documentation that accompany them before I come here. I started with the 2012 report on inter-parliamentary relations between the European Parliament and national parliaments under the Treaty of Lisbon. I got as far as the three-page introduction. Frankly, for those of us who are supposed to be educated parliamentarians to expect the punter on the road to be able to understand any of the language in it is really pushing it.

I will tell the Minister of State why I am concerned about language and I concur with him. During the last fiscal treaty debate, I was doing tallies. The boxes at which I was looking were those for Cherry Orchard and Ballyfermot. The "No" votes in these boxes were between 80% and 90%. As the boxes were being opened, it seemed that the more one approached the Terenure-Rathgar and Terenure-Rathfarnham end of the constituency, the vote was 80% in favour. It is very telling that everybody is not an Irish Times reader. There is a huge segment of our society that is disconnected from national politics but, more clearly, does not know much about European politics. As public representatives, we are regularly invited to schools to speak to schoolchildren - ostensibly as Deputies. There is an incredible confusion on the part of teaching staff and students as to what a Deputy does in the Parliament and confusion about the role of local government and that of the European Parliament and our role in Europe.

We have to send an important message to the grassroots about our role in Europe and its importance to us as citizens. The Minister of State referred to the blue star programme. I worry that the funding we have successfully drawn from Europe may be absorbed into central government funding in some shape or form so that when it is regurgitated to communities, there is no awareness of its composition. They will think it is coming from the Government. When European moneys are spent on social purposes, we should emphasise that the benefits accruing to disadvantaged communities are due to Europe's role in funding and developing society. I am particularly fond of the URBAN programme in Ballyfermot which transformed the area to the point where it is unrecognisable as a result of the EU's investment. There are other forms of social investment in respect of which we are not able to point to the results of our membership of the EU.

In regard to the international projection of Europe and the role of Britain, Germany and France, certain countries - the Minister mentioned Lithuania - have undergone tremendous pain. This committee will be visiting Latvia, which I understand would put the Croke Park agreement to shame. Pay cuts of 40% were imposed on the country's public service. These countries are suffering just as we are suffering. We should develop greater cohesion with the people of these countries. Other examples are Portugal, Spain, Greece and Cyprus. I understand Slovenia may also be facing financial difficulties. Is the political system so divided, even on national terms, that we cannot create an Irish cohesiveness in the European Parliament in order to liaise with these countries? In other words, the Fine Gael group is affiliated to the liberal whatever and the Labour Party group is affiliated to social democrats. Does that undermine the unity of purpose of our MEPs?

We have been successful in stabilising the euro as a world currency. I congratulate Croatia and applaud the progressive steps being taken by other countries. Latvia will be in the eurozone from 1 January 2014. The biggest demands on the Irish Presidency were growth, jobs and stability. We achieved stability but jobs and growth are the next tasks.

I wish the Minister of State every success on the Cohesion Fund and social funding. Perhaps one day he will report back in regard to my cynicism about the €50 million being spent on the peace agreement. It appears to me that Northern Ireland is becoming more sectarian. It does not appear that the loyalist working class see any benefits. We might also address the divide in Cyprus some day and find out whether we can reopen the port of Famagusta. As Europeans, we are responsible to our neighbours. We are spending a lot of money on the peace agreement and I would like to know where it is being spent. There are dangerous tensions in Northern Ireland between the increasing sophistication of paramilitaries and the likelihood of a bombing campaign that will kill people. That would set this country back years, notwithstanding the growth of business links and the attempts of business people in Northern Ireland to obtain international recognition as a civilised modern region. Where is this money going and is it going to the Cherry Orchards and Ballyfermots of Belfast?