Neale Richmond (Fine Gael)
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I welcome our guests to this meeting and I wish them the best of luck for the final hurdle next week at the council and thereafter.

I have two questions relating to spending and revenue of 2016. The first relates to more than 2016. Mr. Cardiff remarked that, for the first time, Ireland has crept into the net contributor column when it comes to membership of the various European bodies. Is there any way to work out the overall balance of Irish payments during the past 45 years of membership? Ireland is now a net contributor. How much has it received directly over 40 years from the European Union?

I hope my eyesight is good enough to see properly the slide on contributions by member states. It is difficult not to recognise the contribution shaded in light green by the United Kingdom. I think it reads 16% or it could be 15%. How can this be addressed when the hole needs to be plugged come 2019? That might be more of an issue for Mr. Murphy rather than Mr. Cardiff, who will get to leave before this becomes a problem.

I might have a supplementary question but I will let our guests start with those questions.