Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

There was a distinct lack of leadership on Friday and Saturday by the main players in the EU and, as the Taoiseach stated, it was a sad occasion. I attended some long sessions, particularly of the Fisheries Council, and it is not often that Ireland returns from a long session without some satisfaction at a fair result, but on this occasion we returned with heavy hearts because of the lack of leadership and statesmanship from some around the table.

We must be positive. As Deputy Durkan stated, there were crises before and time has shown that the EU is robust and able to get over those issues and hiccoughs. It is true that the negativity in some countries, not least in France and the Netherlands, is accompanied by a large element of dissatisfaction with the economic and employment situation there. However, there was also huge engagement, particularly in France, on the enlargement project and discussions on the constitution for Europe. As democrats we must take the fears of those people into consideration. Just over a year ago we agreed that each member state would endeavour to ratify the constitution for Europe and we believe we are duty bound to attempt it and to take stock at that stage.

This country has benefited enormously from the European project. The €200 million in peace money was a relatively small addition specifically for this island. It would have continued to give incredible benefit to the six northern and six Border counties, as it has done over the past decade, but unfortunately it is now up in the air. Yesterday I attended a ceremony whereby rural districts from north Louth in my constituency, with districts in south Armagh and east Meath, got together with the aid of EU INTERREG funding under this peace programme to assist rural people who are falling out of the system. If ever a project brought real benefits to ordinary people on both sides of the Border, that did. It makes no sense that those on our island criticise that type of project, which gives real assistance to people not just in one member state but through recognising that the existence of a border causes difficulties in an area.

I concur with the Deputy and we will do all in our power as a Government, and we expect the support of those political parties supportive of the European project from the start. We stated to the other member states that they should learn from our experience of the "No" vote in the Nice referendum and the National Forum on Europe model. During Friday and Saturday, and on Thursday when we discussed the constitution for Europe, we constantly argued that if we were to have a period of reflection it must be a period of engagement and that where a democratic deficit exists in another member state it should use every opportunity to engage with its population. We accept that in a small country like Ireland it is relatively easy to engage with the public. It is more difficult with a population of 60 million, but it should not divert a large country from engaging in real terms with its electorate.

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