Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

It is obvious Montenegro has worked hard to achieve its membership candidate status. The Croatian application for EU membership will progress rapidly during the Hungarian EU Presidency. The Croatians are anxious to achieve membership and have tried to tick all the required boxes.

Deputy Howlin made a good point about the long drawn-out process of Turkey's membership and Mr. Robert Schuman's concept as to what was Europe. There is the issue, always in the background, never to the forefront, about where Europe begins and ends geographically. The Government, along with the main Opposition parties, has always taken the objective view, a better one than many of the others in Europe, that once Turkey meets various membership criteria, it has the right to progress. I have had many discussions with my Turkish counterpart on this matter in the past and the Turkish Government is making impressive efforts in this regard. I agree with Deputy Howlin that rhetoric in certain European quarters about Turkish membership, jingoistic in some cases, needs to be careful because it could undo a huge amount of work.

European Union membership is a positive force in democratisation, bringing about the rule of law and rectifying the effects of horrific events such as those experienced in the Balkans. It can also be a positive and progressive force for reform in Turkey. We should not lose sight of this.

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