Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)

I do not think the Deputy and I will have a fruitful interchange because our philosophic positions are diametrically opposed. The European Union is good. In general I agree with the policies being pursued and believe the future of our citizens lies in being at the heart of the European Union. I am not alone in thinking this. The Deputy will have noticed that when the socialist experiment failed in eastern Europe, everybody there queued quickly to join the European Union. They have now all joined. The same is happening in North Africa where we have the Arab Spring and democracy is breaking out at long last in Arab states. The secondary objective is to have democratic governments and join the European Union or have trade relationships with it as quickly as possible.

I do not agree with the premise that underpins the Deputy's question. The objectives I set out are ones to which we should subscribe because they are the route back to full employment, economic growth and a good lifestyle for the people.

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