Ms Deirdre Clune:

Deputy Richmond asked me about migration and how can we improve the conversation at home, which is very important. It is in our interest to create a dialogue and tell the story of how important this is. As Mr. Andrews has alluded to, we need migration and will need it into the future because of our changing demographic situation. We all know the figures. To pay for all our pensions later on we need more people in the workforce so migration is important from that point of view.

Recently I read the interesting report on direct provision provided by Dr. Catherine Day for the Government. How we can move forward from direct provision? The only way we can move forward is to engage with communities, which has been seen to be productive. That is in all of our interests because we know that there are some communities that have, due to a lack of information, I think, reacted negatively first but then dialogue helped. As has been said, dialogue is part of the future for Europe and the dialogue that will be around that in terms of citizens' engagement and townhall meetings. I see that very much operating like our own Citizens' Assembly, which was very constructive in addressing issues that polarised people at the beginning but shed light and created a dialogue that helped people to understand, engage and form their own opinions based on information they received once they engaged. Dialogue is necessary and it is a challenge that we all need to engage with because what happened in Moria and what is happening on the perimeter of Europe should be our issues. I say that because I believe that Europe's issues are Ireland's issues and Ireland's issues are Europe's issues. That is a very important statement to make and one that we should continue to make.

On healthcare, during the recent Covid crisis people asked what is Europe doing and how will Europe help. As we know, Europe has competence in healthcare but public health is a matter for member states. Certainly, public health is a very live issue. I know from treaty campaigns that I was engaged in that public health was a real live issue and Irish people are really concerned that public health is protected. I do not know whether that view has changed but, certainly, the Commission is very strong on providing more funding for the EU for health programmes. It wants to strengthen the European Centre for Disease Control, ECDC, the European Medicines Agency, and build up a biomedical advanced research centre.

In terms of the questions of health competences and whether we want change in that area, as a start, with the Italian Presidency next year, the Global Health Summit will take place next year. As we all know, Italy was severely affected at the beginning of the pandemic. There is a conversation beginning to start around this whole area and it is something that Ireland should be involved in, including this Oireachtas committee, and not have that surprise us at the last minute. The conversation has started and it was mentioned in the state of the Union speech at the end of September. It is a topic on which the EU can play a stronger role, certainly in terms of public health and increasing support given to member states.

A cancer strategy is being developed by a committee. The European Parliament has established a Special Committee on Beating Cancer.

The headline is about beating cancer but I am uncomfortable with that. It is more a matter of how we can improve cancer care, focusing on research, and use our strength in Europe and combine our competencies to help all member states. Healthcare and how the European Union moves forward will feature in the discussion on the future of Europe.

The Commission's report on the rule of law, issued in September, was informed and worth producing. Perhaps it did not have teeth but it is certainly informative and will add to the conversation and shine a light on what is happening in every member state. It was quite critical of Hungary. We are all aware of the issues in that country in respect of the independence of the Judiciary, the media, the lack of transparency, the denial of citizens' rights and interference by the Government. It is correct that Fidesz is a member of the European People's Party group, of which I am a member. Fine Gael is also a member. My colleagues in the delegation have brought this to the attention of our group leader, Mr. Manfred Weber. We have also asked that the matter be escalated and that Fidesz be removed. We signed and support the section 7 investigation by the Commission. Our grouping was due to have a political congress in June at which this matter was to be discussed. A motion was tabled by seven leaders of political parties but, unfortunately, owing to Covid, we have not had the conference because it requires attendance in person. We are all concerned about this and want to see it addressed. The Commission's statement on the rule of law is another step in that direction. The Conservative Party in the United Kingdom was a member of the European People's Party at one stage but it moved to the European Conservatives and Reformists, ECR, which is further to the right. Not every situation is black and white. I believe countries' funding should be reduced if breaches of the rule of law have been established. We must also think about where they are going to go. Having listened to fellow MEPs, I am very conscious that there is much concern over the Russian influence in eastern Europe and what it means. We need to regard these matters in a broader context also and recognise that, in politics, not everything is black and white.