Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

Ba mhaith liom fáilte ar ais go dtí an Dáil a chur roimh an Choimisinéir Máire Geoghegan-Quinn. Tá taifead iontach aici mar Bhall den Teach seo agus mar Aire. D'fhág sí rian suntasach le linn a réimse Ranna Rialtais. Mar Aire ar chúrsaí Eorpacha, d'eagraigh sí Uachtaránacht Éireannach ar Chomhairle na hEorpa a leag síos caighdeán do chách. Ag tús a tréimhse mar Theachta Dála, d'éirigh leí céim stairiúil a bhaint amach mar an chéad Aire baineann ó aimsir Constance Markievicz ar aghaidh. Ag druidim le deireadh a tréimhse mar Aire, d'éirigh leí ceann de na Billí Rialtais ba thábhachtaí - ar chearta sibhialta - le cianta a stiúradh tríd an Oireachtas.

It was a welcome development when Mrs. Máire Geoghegan-Quinn received the portfolio of research, innovation and science in the European Commission. This is an area which is central to the economic future of Europe and one on which Ireland's impact is large and growing. For example, a combination of programmes initiated by government in the past decade means that the Commissioner's native city of Galway is home to the world's most important research centre on web software and an increasing number of world leading technology companies.

The programmes Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn overseas in the Commission are some of the European Union's most important, providing practical leadership and support on an issue of fundamental importance. I welcome her announcement today of the significant progress Ireland has made under the EU seventh framework programme, having been involved in negotiating the programme and having worked with the Commissioner's predecessor, Commissioner Potocnik, some years ago. The decision at that stage to create a national directorate in Enterprise Ireland to work in a targeted manner to help Irish companies to draw down funding from the framework has proved to be highly effective, as the Commissioner noted.

I also welcome our Members of the European Parliament who will again take up the opportunity which was granted in the past to participate in the committee work of the Oireachtas, this time in the Dáil Chamber. While we have discussed European matters at length in the past two months, it is a good idea to provide for further time and more participants.

The programme for Government's proposal was for a week long debate to be held in the week in which Europe Day falls. This was to be structured as a formal review of the Commission's annual work programme and-or priorities for the future. As I stated last week, it is a pity the Government has not tabled any substantive item for the committee to discuss. As a result, today will be another in an increasingly long line of sessions given over to statements.

While the broad topic of Europe in 2020 is important, it has been debated in the Dáil, Seanad and committees on several recent occasions. The highly partisan manner in which the Government chose to announce proposals for today's meeting is also regrettable. It cannot expect its decision in this regard to be left without a response. However, given the short speaking time available, I will make only one brief point, which relates to the active promotion of the idea that Ireland neglected the European Union until 9 March of this year. This has been pushed by a combination of Ministers, some of whom wish to claim to be the authors of a resurrection while others remain angry about a refusal to compromise on issues of critical national interest.

This ignores much contradictory evidence. Members have heard about the conduct of successive very good Council Presidencies and the Commissioner referenced the centrality of the European people to the European project. In Ireland, we should learn to work on a cross-party basis in advancing debate on Europe. For example, it was a pity that during the organisation of today's agenda, work was not done in advance with all political parties. It was announced and the parties were told what the line-up would be. The Lisbon treaty referendum showed that communication with the people is vital and the most important lesson arising therefrom was the degree to which there was a disconnect between the citizens of Ireland and the European Union project and its institutions. This also is reflected across Europe and former Commissioner Wallström did a great deal of work on that agenda of communicating Europe.

From the perspective of the Oireachtas, it is important that all political parties work together in advance when preparing days and weeks like this to ensure Members communicate effectively to the people in general. I make this point from a constructive prospective because otherwise, the view will continue to prevail and will reinforce the emerging idea that some Ministers are still more interested in keeping up with the general election campaign against the previous Government than in actually governing.

As far back as 80 years ago-----

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