Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the delegation for coming. It is important that we have this dialogue and I thank the delegates for the work they are doing in pushing forward the Irish issues in the context of Brexit and with the people they meet in the course of their work. I thank them for the reports they have outlined for us. They will probably agree that the Committee of the Regions is the institution about which citizens know the least of all of the European institutions; therefore, we need to gain more recognition for the important work it does.

On the Multi-annual Financial Framework which was mentioned in the presentations, unless I am mistaken, there was no reference to the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP. I would have thought that the future of the CAP was extremely important for the regions and this country, in particular. I know that the Taoiseach has said we intend to increase our contribution to the European Union; therefore, all of these issues have to be sorted out, but perhaps the Committee of the Regions might confirm its position on the CAP.

On regional and local government generally, in the course of its work and interaction with other delegations from throughout the European Union, does the Committee of the Regions consider local and regional government to be poor in this country? Is there a need for reform or give it enhanced status? I accept that this is a small country compared to some of the big EU member states and their populations, but presumably the Committee of the Regions would state there was much more regional and local government could do in the interests of citizens.

On the future of Europe, I know that the President of the European Commission has put forward various scenarios, but I want to broaden the debate and take up the point mentioned by my colleague Deputy Durkan. Immigration is one of the big issues facing the European Union, not so much this state but other nation states. As a result, there is populism and the rise of the far right and so on and a decline in European liberal democratic values. That is one of the biggest threats to the European Union at this time. Have the delegates come across this in the course of their work? Does it impact on the Committee of the Regions? How does it affect its work and how can it counteract it?