Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister for his reply. It is important that we send a message to the people of Ireland, the electorate, that Europe is not just about referenda or treaties and that the role of Ireland in Europe is much more than that.

I appreciate the Minister's point on the role of the committees. There is an important role for the committees but there is a possibility that much talking can be done over an extended period. We can have debates in the Dáil, the Seanad, the Joint Committee on European Affairs and the Joint Committee on European Scrutiny. We can continue going around the Houses, so to speak, but there is an opportunity for the Government, and more specifically for the Minister as Minister for Foreign Affairs, to front-load much of that and to show a certain initiative in terms of implementation.

I do not want to go through the recommendations of the committee but, for example, would the Minister consider, and I raised this matter during Question Time some months ago, doing something to celebrate Europe Day such as inviting MEPs to address the Chamber, making it an occasion of national importance, putting these two Houses at the very centre of that and making it the focal point in that regard? That would be a positive move. The Minister might agree with me on that.

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