Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)

-----in which there were continuous armed conflicts and narrow nationalistic views perpetrated on smaller countries, with the result that the sovereignty of individual states and their citizens was always under threat.

Perhaps Deputy Gerry Adams knows about a time on the European continent when a longer period of peace was enjoyed than has been enjoyed since 1957, but I am not aware of it. The current European model is not perfect. Uniting 27 countries with different cultural identities, fiscal and economic needs was always going to be difficult. However, when we weigh up the fact that the Continent has enjoyed the longest period of economic prosperity and peace in the modern era, would we want to sacrifice this and run the risk of breaking up the European Union, or perhaps having two types of European Union, one on a fast track and the other on a slow one? Sinn Féin would obviously have us on the slow track, which would run the risk of the whole thing unravelling. I would be totally opposed to this. The world is looking in at Europe and countries such as this. People want to see positivity and creativity. They are weary of negativity. I wish the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste well in their endeavours to bring an Irish suggestion to a European problem.

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