Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

There is every reason for the Forum on Europe to continue its work. I welcome the communicating Europe initiative by the European Commission under which more commissioners and other senior officials will make themselves available to governments. The Forum on Europe is the best way to support dialogue and discussion of the issues and the forum's reports tease them out. The forum was established because that was not happening. Admittedly, it was a Labour Party proposal, which I took up, but it was a good one. We should continue to develop the forum and I would love it see it receive more media attention because there have been some excellent debates, which have almost gone unnoticed. That is a pity because there has been high quality debate about national questions and issues such as how the role of the Defence Forces will evolve and change and battlegroups. These issues have been well debated at the forum and consensus must be built on them. Next year, three or four commissioners, as well as the President of Commission, will attend the forum. The President will attend again because he thought it was a useful exercise. Since he visited during the summer, he has advocated that his commissioners and representatives of other member states should attend the forum. That meeting received a great deal of coverage but we could generate coverage of many of the other meetings. Deputy Joe Higgins will be delighted to know that Commissioner McCreevy will attend the forum to see him.

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