Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to start by expressing revulsion on behalf of the Regional Independents Group at the death of George Floyd as a result of police brutality. I agree with the Tánaiste's comments to the effect that we must look at our record of racism in this country.

I thank the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and our ambassador to the United States, Mr. Dan Mulhall, for their assistance with my representations on behalf of Mr. Peter Smyth, a Waterford graduate who was repatriated two weeks ago after several weeks in isolation on a cruise ship in Florida. It was wonderful to welcome him home. He spent 46 days in isolation, 26 of them without reprieve while confined to a cabin.

The previous Independent Deputy who represented Waterford took a tremendous interest in world affairs while in the House. I have more modest interests, regarding our place in Europe. It goes without saying that Europe matters enormously to our well-being and future. Being part of the European Union has lifted Ireland out of poverty. We are the most pro-European nation but we are rarely at the centre of things in Europe. The European Union was forged in crises, but our relationship with it must be more than a series of tactics for solving such crises. From the euro crisis to the migration crisis, the Brexit crisis and now the Covid crisis, we have not shown any meitheal.

It tends to be the begging bowl or tactical NIMBYism. We are now a net contributor to Europe. In so many ways, we are an example of the positive influence of Europe - a small, open trading economy, engaged in the world, with an unbroken historic record of peacekeeping and an instinct for giving, for empathy and for charity.

We have European dilemmas coming at us and we want to be on the front foot in these family discussions. The common corporation tax lurks, threatening our multinational subsidiaries. We have let the misapprehension go unchecked that these are not real and substantial Irish businesses, with deep roots. Pfizer bought a field in Cork in 1969 to become one of our largest pharma companies, Steve Jobs set up in 1980 and games maker Cartamundi, formerly Hasbro and Milton Bradley, has been based in Waterford since 1978. These companies employ thousands of people and are the hard dogs for the long road. They are not brass plate operations.

We expect robust defence of European and Irish interests in Brexit negotiations on fishing, tourism and trade. We recognise the unflinching support of our Commissioner, Phil Hogan, and Michel Barnier in these discussions. Indeed, our Commissioner is to be supported in reaching for a greater impact in dealing with trade matters. A matter for attention in regard to fisheries is that of currently registered, foreign owned trawlers in the UK being allowed to re-register as European post-Brexit and, therefore, continuing to access Irish fishing waters and Irish stocks. This goes against the principles of fair trade.

Europe is changing under our feet, no longer held back by the UK. We have lost our greatest European ally at the European Council. We are unsure now if we are southerners or northerners. Ireland needs to find its feet so we can be at the centre of this ongoing change. The stakes are massive for us. My concern is that Brexit has taken up so much bandwidth that we are not tending to the other parts of the European relationship. When our MEPs head off to Europe, it is difficult for them to be heard from again. We have a tiny handful of Irish journalists working the European beat - only two, as far I know, Naomi O’Leary for The Irish Timesand Tony Connelly for RTÉ. They are both doing a tremendous job but they need reinforcements. Many of our embassies - I hate to say this - are not fit for an ambassador's reception. Internships in the EU for bright students during and after college are very low profile and are largely a closed shop for those in the know.

This House, and those of us privileged to sit in it, need to develop a deeper engagement with EU politics and policy. More connections need to be made, although we have good points to reflect on. We note that Phillip Lane sits on the ECB, Emily O’Reilly holds the position of European Ombudsman and the Tánaiste's party colleague, Mairead McGuinness, MEP, retains the position of Vice-President of the European Parliament. We need more of that. As a country, we punch above our weight but we need to bulk up. We need more connection, more engagement and more influence. We need to be, and we must place ourselves, at the centre of things. Europe was not an election issue on the doorsteps when I was campaigning, nor in the debates, yet a defining issue for the next Government is how Ireland moves to the centre of Europe. If we take the future seriously, we need to get serious about resourcing a deeper institutional engagement.

We also need to round out the infrastructure piece. Ferry connections from Rosslare and Cork are an imperative for regional and national economic development. The welcome launch of Irish Ferries' Brexit-busting ships, supported by EIB loans, actually weakened the ferry schedules from Rosslare, resulting in services being withdrawn. Once the Covid crisis clears, airports will still be needed. Investment in Waterford Airport, a commitment in the last programme for Government, remains unactioned. We need to press on with that and the other developments that aid national and regional connectivity. These are strategic priorities. I encourage the Minister to address the core challenge of bringing Ireland to the centre of Europe in a bold and expansionary way in his Department and in the politics of this new Dáil. We must press our case resolutely and with purpose because we know that, for Ireland and its people, failure is not an option.

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