Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I am pro-European, pro-solidarity and pro co-operation. Much has been said in the corporate media that those with a different position on the future of the European Union are somehow lining themselves up with regressive forces and elements of the far right. I utterly reject that argument. Members of this House, who try to associate AAA-PBP with views from far right parties and abhorrent nationalist parties, are politically illiterate and opportunistic in their language.

Our solidarity and co-operation goes out to the working people of England, Wales, Scotland, the North of Ireland and far beyond. Regardless of how they voted, I have more in common with working people from these geographical areas than the technocrats and sociopaths of the European banking system. Working people regardless of where they are living on these islands have absolutely nothing in common with the British Tories or Nigel Farage, MEP, and his band of narrow-minded reactionaries. They have nothing to offer but to uphold their deep class prejudice and the economic system from which they thrive.

Some commentators have painted whole swathes of working class communities in England as reactionary and xenophobic. To me this skews the debate on why people chose to reject the European Union. These are areas that were once heartlands of the old industrial working class and of the British labour movement. By and large they remain Labour Party strongholds which suffered devastation under the Thatcher regime.

It is a matter of undeniable fact that fears of immigration and racism were a running narrative in the debate on either remaining in or leaving the EU. However, the question is whether that was the main element. Many of the towns that typically and decisively voted to leave are safe Labour seats. Bradford, for example, voted by 54.2% to 45.8% to leave. Bradford is a city with a large Asian population. It has three parliamentary constituencies and three Labour MPs. Each of these Labour MPs won big majorities in 2015. Bolsover is another example. It has been represented for decades by the Labour MP, Denis Skinner, with a huge majority. Bolsover voted by 70.8% to leave the European Union.

I wish to raise something others have not mentioned, which is the relationship between the European Union and the state of Israel. I will read out some pretty abhorrent facts. EU arms sales to Israel in 2014 were worth nearly €2 billion.

Germany is the leading supplier of weapons and military equipment from the EU to Israel, with sales of up to €1 billion in 2014. A submarine armed with cruise missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads was sold by Germany to Israel for €7 billion in December of last year. Other equipment sold by the EU to Israel includes warships, aircraft, military vehicles, tanks, weapons, firing equipment, explosive devices, imaging and electronic equipment, chemical agents, small arms and artillery. Israel's weapons sales to Europe more than doubled in 2015 by comparison with the previous year. According to official figures released by the Israeli defence ministry, arms worth $1.6 billion were exported in 2015. This compares with arms exports of $724 million in 2014. Most of Israel's arms sales are exports of ammunition, drones and other upgrades to existing aircraft. Even though Israel killed 2,000 civilians, including 560 children, in the Gaza Strip in 2014, the EU continues to sell arms that destroy lives, rather than saving them, to that country in large numbers.

The European Union has for long periods been portrayed as a benign force in Irish society. Many people still see it as a progressive institution. I believe that relationship is now being questioned more than ever before. The economic meltdown of 2008 changed our relationship with the EU forever. I remind the House that 42% of the cost of the crisis in Europe's banking system is being paid by Ireland. That equates to €9,000 per citizen of this country. Ireland finds itself in an economic straitjacket as a result of Fianna Fáil's bankrupt policies, which were perpetuated by the European banking system. This is an affront to democracy and progress in a social Europe. The people have spoken. They have said that they want a social Europe rather than a corporate Europe.

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