Ms Marie Cross:

Ms Donoghue has covered many of the areas and I will simply add some details of the projects in which we are engaged. When the Brexit referendum delivered the result that the UK wished to leave the EU, the IIEA, together with the Department of Foreign Affairs, looked to the future of the EU 27. Much time and thought has been devoted to Brexit but the institute has also given considerable attention to the future of the EU and to Ireland's place in it. The future of the EU 27 is a three-year project which the IIEA has undertaken with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The objective is to contribute to the debate about the future of Europe within the group of 27 member states, by providing in-depth analysis of emerging trends in order to gain insight into the major challenges facing Ireland and the EU. It is also an exercise in listening to Irish people, to their views of the EU, how they wish the EU to develop, what issues are of concern and of interest to people.

As we face the challenges of the future for the EU there are a number of factors that can guide us here in any post-Brexit situation. First, the most recent poll in May of this year showed an approval rating of 93% support for EU membership in Ireland, which has increased steadily and is now at its highest ever. Second, Brexit has had the effect of exposing very clearly, and in a very raw and sharp focus, what the UK is losing. The Brexit debate, covered extensively in Ireland, has had the positive side effect of providing more detailed information on the EU than might otherwise be effective. This is a significant support to the Government in engaging with the strategic agenda of the EU and to the institute in the roll-out of the various programmes in this regard.

The IIEA, in drawing up the programme for the future of the EU, has been conscious of the need for Ireland to play its part in support of the European project as a whole. In this context, we are conscious that we must invest considerable resources in strategic co-operation with the other 26 member states. Co-operation with the larger member states is important, particularly in the case of the Franco-German alliance but co-operation among smaller members gives support and validation to the larger member states and the EU as a whole.

There are a number of elements of the future of the EU 27 programme. The first was a series of research papers produced by the Commission, which laid out the policies in various areas such as the eurozone, security and defence, the EU budget, social policy and globalisation. The institute researched these areas and provided recommendations to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. It also produces its own research papers on the future of the EU institutions after Brexit, the state of the enlargement agenda, the EU social agenda, the EU security and defence agenda and a number in the economic area. A wide range of events, open to the public, have been held in the institute with invited speakers from home and abroad, including European foreign and finance ministers, MEPs, politicians, diplomats, European Commission officials, academics and think tank members. The objective of these meetings is to inform the Irish audience of the views from other member states on the topics which are of significant interest in the discussions under way, not just in the EU but internationally, and which influence the EU in its interaction on the global stage.

We have also organised regional events and there have been six in towns and cities throughout the country - Galway, Waterford, Cork, Limerick, Dundalk, and Sligo. Each had a different theme. For example, the event in Sligo in May 2019 was on climate change and the future of agriculture. The Limerick event in February 2019 focused on how the EU spent the people's money, with a particular focus on the EU budget. Each event involved a panel of politicians and experts on the respective topics. These meetings were successful with very good engagement with the public.

A new and exciting development for the institute is the "emerging voices" anthology. The emerging voices group is a pivotal component in the future of the EU 27 project, which brings an extra dimension and fresh perspective to the work of the IIEA. The group was established in 2017 and the purpose of the initiative was to convene a group of emerging leaders from a diverse range of professional and social backgrounds, taking account of gender balance. The group met on a monthly basis to share their vision of Ireland’s place in the EU and to further their understanding of European affairs. A collection of papers written by 18 members of the group, reflecting an interrogative approach to EU affairs and proposing forward looking recommendations, was launched in an anthology publication by the Minister for State, Deputy Helen McEntee, last week on 4 June. Examples of the topics are citizens' engagement in Europe; citizen access to the European Court of Justice; the case for a European mortgage market; EU counterterrorism policy; and re-imagining the African continental free trade agreement, and there are 12 others. We have also produced a series of 11 so-called "explainers". These are a series of short fact sheets providing answers to common questions about EU affairs and providing insight into what goes on inside the EU. Examples include why the EU needs 27 Commissioner; how the EU plans to spend people's money; the key upcoming changes in Brussels; what is next for EU enlargement; and where the EU stands on security and defence policy. Eleven have been produced and four more are in preparation.

The IIEA is also producing a series of podcasts, due to be released shortly on a two-weekly basis. These will deal with broad themes such as EU institutional affairs, populism, migration, transatlantic relations, and the elections to the European Parliament. The purpose of the podcasts is to attract a wider, younger audience who receive information and analysis in an audio rather than a written form.

The younger researchers in our institute have informed us that this is a popular way for young people to access information about the European Union. The institute has also held podcast interviews with a series of visiting speakers, including Philippe Lamberts on the green perspective on the future of Europe, the Russian speaker, Dr. Dmitri Trenin, on Russia and Europe, and Dr Constanze Stelzenmüller on transatlantic relations in the age of Trump. Other themes included Franco-German relations and the question, "Is Europe facing a democratic recession?"

The German Irish joint forum mentioned by Ms Donoghue is a very interesting initiative and project in the overall development of Irish-German policy. Last year, and again in May of this year, the German and Irish foreign ministries, together with the prestigious German think tank, the Foundation for Science and Politics, and the institute joined together for a seminar over two days. It was hosted this year by the Institute of International and European Affairs. On the agenda were German-Irish bilateral relations, the EU strategic agenda and transatlantic relations. This was in line with the objective of creating a closer relationship between the two countries.

As Ms Donoghue has outlined, we have a very significant country profiles programme which has been very popular with the number of people have accessed it at home and abroad.

Looking forward towards the next phase to be developed with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, we will work on a programme focusing on the implementation of the commitments agreed by the Heads of State and Government at their meeting in Sibiu in Romania. These will be brought forward in the strategic agenda to be adopted by the leaders at their meeting on 20 and 21 June, which will set the overarching priorities that will guide the work of the EU over the next five years. The IIEA will continue the work of assisting the Government in shaping its policies in the implementation of the strategic agenda and in contributing towards a well-informed debate on the EU issues and challenges on the domestic front.