Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

We will continue to work at that. This country was always exceptionally highly rated by our European counterparts, but that slipped over a decade of non-attendance and non-participation and an arrogant assumption that this country was on top of the pile and would stay there. We need to rebuild that reputation, and I will be asking the Deputy for his help because he has connections in Europe. He should admit that things are different and that we are now on a different path towards sorting out the problems that this country faces and the legacy that was left to us.

The last time I met President Sarkozy in Brussels, he agreed that we must have a meeting; he said this more than once. We will have a meeting in due course and at the appropriate time.

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