Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. After eight years of economic and political crisis, the European Union is now faced with a lengthy crisis about its future direction, not only in the context of Brexit but also in regard to its respect for shared values and rules.

In recent weeks, a range of senior politicians, as Deputy Paul Murphy stated, in member states and institutions have begun talking about changes to treaties and legislation. Ireland cannot stay on the sidelines; we need to set out our policies. For example, we should be very clear in telling President Juncker that there is no public demand or benefit concerning his proposal for focusing on military capabilities. What we need is a reform which addresses the core lack of capacity in the European Union which would assist in increasing much needed economic growth. Did the Taoiseach have any direct contact with President Juncker or any other senior person in the Commission at Council or Commission level on President Juncker's proposals for changes in the EU?

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