Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I, too, welcome the ambassador to the joint committee and congratulate Italy on the programme it has set out for its Presidency. We expect Italy to understand the economic circumstances throughout Europe better than most other European Union member states. We have been trying to explain the position to other member states in recent years, with some degree of success.

I note the points the ambassador makes on Europe having an identity and agree that Europe must have an identity. This must be a result of dialogue between European institutions and national institutions where there appears to have been a breakdown in communications in recent times. This has caused the growth in euroscepticism, a trend to which my colleagues alluded. Unfortunately, if one studies the history of Europe, one will readily recognise that, over the centuries, the Continent has reached a similar juncture on more than one occasion. When Europe becomes dissatisfied with itself and what it has, it always looks elsewhere for greener pastures. This striving for a better place has not always succeeded and I have no doubt that if the current trajectory is maintained, Europe may well find itself in a more difficult place, particularly in the political sense.

I echo the words of my colleagues, Deputies Timmy Dooley and Eric Byrne, in the sense that if Europe decides to depart from the centre and individual member states seek to follow their own path, politically, socially and economically, they should first be asked to consider the history of Europe because history has shown that this is not the correct way to go. We do not seem to want to talk or walk in the same direction or at the same time. That, unfortunately, has been the tragedy of Europe. The people of Europe paid a high price when the European ideal was disregarded in the past. Various meetings of COSAC and other bodies have called for the ideals of the founding fathers to be borne in mind to a much greater extent than they are at present.

I believe that the economic issues that confront us are only temporary. They will disappear in time provided we act upon them but they will not disappear overnight. There never was a situation in Europe, the US or worldwide where such economic issues would disappear overnight, so it will not happen that way.

How Europe evolves from here on will be the legacy that the present generation will give to future generations if it is a worthwhile legacy. If Europe decides to co-operate, to converge to a certain extent with the agreement of the various member states but not necessarily held by any one in particular, while at the same time having due regard for each other's position, it can evolve in a concise and cohesive manner which would be of benefit to the future generations of European people. For example, as there is much agitation about immigration in certain European countries, we need to address that important issue. Is it a code for something else? Is it something that we understand or do not understand? If there is a need to address an issue in that context, it should be addressed at European level with the full support of all EU countries, not just the Italians who have to address the issue of refugees at the front line. Each EU country has an input and it is not sufficient for some countries to resile from responsibilities or an issue. In that regard it will have huge consequences at some stage in the future.

Youth employment is hugely important in terms of stabilising the economy and the social fabric of European society. The degree to which the Italian Presidency is successful in dealing with this issue will have a huge impact in the short term as well as in the medium and long term. If in the course of its term the Italian Presidency can achieve reasonable progress in that area, that will stabilise the European Union Presidency.