Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)
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I extend a warm welcome to Baroness Joyce Quin, Mr. Brendan Halligan who served in the Dáil during my time in that Chamber, Ms Linda Barry and Mr. Paul Gillespie who has written on the subject extensively for many years.

In case those viewing the proceedings take things out of context, let me assure them there is no immediacy about the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union. There will be a general election there on 7 May. It will be a tough fight and a hard fought election and I wish all candidates in the mother of democracy every success in the campaign. We are conscious of the commitment given by the leader of the Conservative Party that, on being returned to power, he will hold a referendum on EU membership in 2017. That is the reason we are working actively on the issue at the Joint Committee on European Affairs. We want to put in the work before the horse bolts. Mr. Gillespie's book is well researched and worthwhile. I have read the extracts which outline what happened in the past and look forward to the future.

Although what we are facing is not immediate, it is a possibility. The Government, including the Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, are quite determined. We worked on the issue at the weekend. I thank the committee secretariat, the Chairman and members who participated in discussions in London with interested parties. Ireland will not be indifferent to a decision by the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. We have a vested interest in the continuation of its work in the European Union. The then Minister, former Deputy Desmond O'Malley, delegated me as Minister of State in the 1990s to lead the Irish delegation in the negotiations on the Single European Act. As I recall it, one of the Conservative Ministers, Mr. John Redwood, was actively involved in the negotiations, but for some reason, those who were involved are not prepared to admit or take credit for the detailed negotiations undertaken at that time. All of the documents are in the archives. In response to the late Dr. Garret FitzGerald who said he would love to publish all of the documentation of the European Union, I said nobody would read it because the process had been long-winded. Ireland had its top team of civil servants, including the current ambassador to the United Kingdom, Mr. Dan Mulhall, who worked hand in glove with the British. Irish and British interests coincided and we negotiated what was a very good Single European Act in the interests of the European Union, Britain and Ireland. Let the Conservative Party take credit for what it has already achieved in this regard, instead of walking away as if it had nothing to do with the negotiations at the time. Its wonderful team worked extremely hard.

In the event of there being a referendum on membership of the European Union, there will be negotiations to meet the requirements of the Government at the time. The adjustments required will be the subject of negotiations. We wish that process success. The issue will then be put to the British people. The European Union must outline exactly what benefits have accrued to the United Kingdom since 1973. We know what we have achieved in the Republic through our participation in the European Union. Ireland is an attractive location for inward investment. An example of how successful we are in working with the European Union is the announcement by Apple to invest €850 million in Athenry. From speaking to people in Britain, I know that they are not conscious of the benefits in being a member of the European Union. They are not aware of all the contributions that have been made. The Republic of Ireland should make a case to the people of Britain on the benefits of EU membership. I would have no hesitation in travelling to Britain to canvass the Diaspora and warn of the dangers of a "Yes" vote in a referendum. It would be in order to do this. We would not be interfering in the affairs of Britain; we would be working together toward a united Europe in that regard.

The uncertainty caused by the announcement by the British Prime Minister is not doing Britain any good as far as inward investment is concerned. It raises a doubt about the continuation of the United Kingdom in the European Union. This destabilises negotiations on inward investment, which is unfortunate. We will await the outcome of the general election. I am not putting questions to the delegates, but I hope that in sharing my experience we are opening dialogue on the issue. We do not have the answers.