Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise a point about which many other speakers have spoken in the past. In respect of statements, which I am sure will be a subject for discussion in our reform committee, there is a difference between those who come first and those who come last because the Taoiseach is never here and one has less opportunity to get one's point across. It is worth noting and I will raise it in the Dáil reform committee.

I welcome the Minister of State and wish her the best of luck in her job. I am sure she will be very capable and have a key role so I am very glad she is here to hear my short contribution. It is difficult for the Taoiseach as he is going into his first European Council. I presume the Minister of State will be joining him at that event. The Taoiseach is going in at a difficult time. It is a bit like going into the Business Committee when one represents a small party. One has the two big beasts in Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael - the equivalent of France and Germany. I will not say which is which. One needs to hold one's ground sometimes and fight one's corner.

I have been a supporter of the EU for a long time but with the UK exiting, something in me fears for our position as a small country on the periphery in terms of how we can exert an influence if it is a return to the Franco-German engine of development in Europe. That would be a very different Union to the one we have been in for the past 40 plus years. We need to be very careful, stand up for ourselves and be resolute. I will give a few examples reflecting what the Taoiseach said was coming up on the agenda.

The Taoiseach said that one of the items for discussion is defence co-operation, particularly in response to the terrorist threat and other threats. We have absolute solidarity and sympathy with our Belgian, French and British colleagues in terms of the terrorist incidents that have occurred recently. However, I fear that this might be used by the French or German Presidencies, particularly the French, to push for a strong move towards defence co-operation. I do not believe that would be right for us. We bring more to the Union when we maintain our historic neutrality. Deputy Wallace might say that this neutrality has been undermined through the use of Shannon Airport or other factors but it is still a real strength that we bring to the Union in terms of maintaining an independence and not buying in to some elements of the military-industry complex. I know it is a clichéd term but it exists in France, the UK and Germany. We need to be different in that regard. When we are discussing European security and co-operation in the European Council, the Taoiseach should be upfront in saying that Ireland is different. I remember having a discussion with T.K. Whitaker about the negotiations around our entry. At that time, the German finance ministry stood up for our right to be independent in that way within the Union. We still need to do that.

The second is a related issue. I note that a section of the Council is due to discuss digital Single Market strategies and so on. The Taoiseach said that one of the items for discussion is how we will fight the spread of radicalisation online and thwart its financing. We must combat terrorism in whatever way we can but I have a real concern about some of the measures we are seeing. In example, in the Queen's Speech today, the UK Government is introducing a range of draconian measures that are quite repressive in terms of people's online digital rights. As a country that has become a centre for much digital industry and software companies, including our own start-up culture, we must be very careful about the nature of online surveillance that is permitted, the protection of privacy and support for content creators on the Internet. We must do so in a way that is truly based on an ethical and citizens' rights-led approach rather than a judicial, security angle. While that is important, I do not believe having really draconian measures to crack down on certain freedoms on the Internet will create a more secure environment. In fact, many of the recent terrorist incidents we have seen have shown that this will not work. We have a better approach in terms of our response to some of those terrorist threats than some of the other security responses we are seeing across Europe and we should stand up for our approach.

Even though we are distant from the most immediate points of migration such as Libya and other parts of the Middle East like Syria as well as Turkey, we have a slightly different relationship with some of those parts of the world. We should use that in any further discussions and deliberations regarding how we manage migration, for example, how we see Turkey. Deputy Boyd Barrett mentioned what is happening in Slovakia or Austria. There is a huge problem in a certain part of Europe regarding relationships with Turkey. There is a historic concern going back 500, 600 or 800 years about people coming from Turkey and being on the border of Europe. We have the chance to have a different relationship with Turkey and Iran. I agree with what Deputy Wallace said. We have the chance to play a neutral role and not just neutral in a "do nothing" sense. We can be neutral in a positive and constructive connection with the Arab world, Turkey and Iran. We should avail of that opportunity because we can bring a slightly different relationship to it compared to some other European countries. We add to the Union when we act in that regard.

The next issue is significant but it is the Minister of State's job to think big in European Council meetings. I believe we should be taking a much stronger position in response to the Chinese Government's new Silk Road initiative in terms of trying to develop co-operation and links between China and other parts of the world. I am not an expert in the exact provisions and what they offer with the possible exception of electricity grid connections where I have had some connections and involvement outside this House. It seems that the work the Chinese Government is doing in this area is hugely progressive and innovative and something where we should use our good relationship with China to think big in that way and to see ourselves as part of a big global co-operative approach rather than just locking ourselves within the EU.

The next issue might be outside the remit of the immediate Council, although it may come up because I believe one of the items for discussion is the situation following the US withdrawal from the Paris climate change agreement and how Europe responds to that. We should be strong in our response. We should hit the US where it hurts in the diplomatic area instead of getting into a trade war with the US that would damage our country as much as any other. We should be asking questions about the future role of the OECD and the International Energy Agency which typify institutions that were led by US diplomacy and US Governments. At this stage, the US is completely outside the pale and is a rogue state. We should be proposing some change in the International Energy Association or the OECD. How can we can deal with the US when it has put itself outside any proper diplomatic context of co-operation?

I am scared by what is happening with Brexit because as others have said, the British Government has entered into negotiations and is three-nil down with about 30 seconds to go. It is incredible. Only a few weeks ago, the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, David Davis, MP, was saying that the row of the summer would be around sequencing and that the full Irish trade talks would need to begin at the very start. He went into the negotiations on Monday and walked out half an hour later having agreed to all the sequencing and having demoted the issue of Ireland's trade and Border issues. It seems that the British do not have a negotiating position.

They do not have any cards to play and are heading towards a hard, over-the-cliff exit, and we have to try to stop them from doing that. That is a wider political debate. I wish the Minister of State the best of luck in her role, as well as the Taoiseach as he walks into what I think is a very difficult first Council meeting.

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