Ms Noelle O'Connell:

The Chairman and the Deputy posed similar questions in terms of the disenchanted middle. That is an interesting finding that occurs across many of the responses. It is not indicated in all of the findings, but it is evident from enough of them that we have remarked on it as a trend and a pattern. We are seeing the challenge of that cohort and demographic who have suffered significantly as a result of the economic crisis in terms of a possible inability to access their own homes and the challenges that are impacting them in terms of living and working through the Covid pandemic. It is something of which we need to be mindful and on which we need to continually engage. As part of the Conference on the Future of Europe we are, of course, going to work with all demographics. There is a welcome and understandable focus on engaging with the younger population, which is really important, but I am very conscious and cognisant of the fact that we must continue to engage with all sectors and demographics. We cannot afford to allow that middle 35 to 54 age cohort - many of those present are in that demographic - to feel left behind.

The Deputy asked several valid questions regarding the levels of support and engagement. Of course, we cannot take the level of support for granted. The Deputy is right to be cautious. What we are ascertaining is whether people are in favour of progressing to deeper involvement in Europe and what type of integration that requires. Understandably, many people still wish for Ireland, as a member state, to maintain control over national competencies. Obviously, it is a complex issue. Anything to do with the European Union in terms of sentiment and opinions certainly is. Support cannot be taken for granted or given on all issues. It will be interesting to see on what topics citizens particularly focus and what views are expressed as we virtually travel the country in phase 1 of this online consultation.

Nevertheless, the Deputy is correct. In terms of treaty change and a referendum, it is welcome from our perspective. The Taoiseach said only in recent days that Ireland will not rule out treaty change and that will have an impact on a possible referendum in Ireland, but that should not be the starting point. It would not necessarily be helpful or beneficial to have that as the prerequisite and starting point, but if that is what arises from the process of consultation that will take place throughout the 27 member states, that will be considered.

As for polarisation, opinions fluctuate and vary. For example, if we had asked the vaccine question a couple of weeks after the significant increase in vaccine dosage, that would, arguably, have led to a higher finding.

The Deputy asked about the process of the Conference on the Future of Europe and I am very happy to share that with members. As they will appreciate, the conference had a somewhat challenging institutional beginning but we officially launched on 9 May. For us in Ireland, we will seek to take the learnings and adopt best practice, as we did in the future of Europe consultation process in 2018 and 2019, and examine the use of a citizens' assembly, with a safe, interactive and engaged forum for people to have their say. We will reach out to all elected members to ask them to invite any constituents who are interested in getting involved.

It is fantastic that we have had a number of expressions of interest from members of the public, including people in the mid-west and Connacht, looking to get involved in the process. It will take place virtually over a couple of hours, with discussions on a number of key topics such as the economy, digitisation, the role of the EU in global affairs, the environment, climate change and agriculture. In a series of guided discussions, participants will get relevant information in advance to help prepare and guide them in the discussion. We will then have an open conversation, which will take place virtually in the different constituencies and be fed back to the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, and the Department of Foreign Affairs. That will, I hope, form part of the Government's thinking and consideration on this process, as it did in the previous iteration.