Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The Deputy wishes.

The Forum on Europe has done good work in trying to bring to public attention the role Europe plays in our domestic affairs and politics. It has been scrupulous in its efforts to take into account all bodies of opinion regardless of what democratic mandate they have. This is fair enough to take account of the voluntary sector and advocacy groups. There is an issue about the need for this Parliament to reappraise how it brings the relevance of European issues to the floor of the House more regularly and how they impact on every aspect of policy. There is an idea that our interests are defended solely on the basis of whether we have a Commissioner, which in itself is important in terms of the institutional architecture of the Union. However, when one considers the workload and the 90 diplomats and public servants employed in our permanent representation office in Brussels who, on an ongoing basis, defend and monitor our interests, put our points of views and persuade in policy areas and myriad other areas throughout the Union apparatus, this is a far greater example of the resources and the efforts Ireland makes on a daily basis to influence what happens in Europe for the benefit of its people.

Too often we have not properly thought about how we reflect that in our national debate in every policy area and whether we should have more regular debates on the Union in the House on specific issues to bring to people's attention in real time the benefits that accrue by reason of our participation in Europe. That would bring into our domestic debate in a more real way for the electorate the importance the Union plays in their daily lives.

We have allowed a system to develop where we have been recognised as punching above our weight and as a flexible, constructive and persuasive partner in the Union over many years in a parallel universe within the negotiating fora of the Union and its institutions while not reflecting it in the body politic at home sufficiently. I consider this the more I reflect on the comprehension of how much a role Europe plays in the modernisation of this society, the economy we are building, the rationale behind our investment and industrial policies and the development of our social policies. The Union has been an integral part of the development of national policy and, in some cases, the genesis of policy has emanated from Brussels, much of it to our benefit and progression, yet the idea that, in some way, the Union demonises us and is there to overwhelm us and do us down continues to resonate. Suggestions were made during the campaign that the Union was trying to do us down and it was critical of us. We need to have a more mature debate in the House on a more regular basis on all aspects of policy and how Europe has helped shape our political thinking and the policies we implement in ways that are of real meaning to the lives of our people.

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