Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

I do not. That is obviously a matter for the group itself to deal with, in consultation with the Council. The Deputy asked about the impact of the Lisbon vote. On the economic front, as a former Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment I am well aware that one of the key marketing ploys of Ireland has been to present the country as an English-speaking member of the eurozone and a gateway to the European market. In the aftermath of the Lisbon vote, my officials were asked to intervene in one particular case to convince an American company that the decision to vote "No" against Lisbon did not mean we were pulling out of the EU. The point there is that people from further afield interpret things differently. They may read something into a vote on a specific treaty which is more than it entailed.

The Internal Market has been powerful for Irish-owned companies, particularly in the indigenous sector. The graphs explain the diversity in our export profile from when we started in the Union in 1973, when we were wholly dependent on the UK for our exports, to the current situation where we have a significant reach into all the main EU markets.

As regards the Deputy's point, my fear is that when it comes to negotiating key issues in the next two to three years, our negotiating strength will have weakened.

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