John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

I wish to return to some of the questions I raised in my speech. I congratulate the Minister on his appointment as an UN envoy.

Considering we are nuclear free, the Irish Government's support for the fusion project in southern France goes against the grain. It is not the way to go if we are to deal with the issue of climate change. Many within the EU regard nuclear energy as the way to address the issue and believe we can sustain economic growth while combating climate change. Would the Minister agree that this analysis is entirely wrong? Why has the Government not been more vocal at European level with regard to the issue?

Will the Minister elaborate on the European services directive and how the Bolkestein directive could be amended to his satisfaction?

Is the Minister ashamed of our environmental record? We are the environmental delinquents of Europe. We have a truly appalling record and a cavalier attitude towards European Union environmental directives. How does the Minister feel sitting around the table when he looks his colleagues in the eye and tries to explain how this so-called small green country can have such an appalling attitude towards the environment?

With regard to EU ratification, was there any discussion about the potential for a "No" vote in France and Britain? If there is a "No" vote in France——

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