Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I genuinely do not. I mean this sincerely. Our membership of the European Union is not about being good boys or bad boys. It is about being part of a single market and an economic union that have brought great benefits to the country in terms of jobs and the modernisation of our economy. This deal is a good deal for Ireland. The proportion of the multi-annual financial framework for the Common Agricultural Policy has gone up to 31% as opposed to 28% in the last programme. When you take the United Kingdom's exit from Europe and the huge contribution it was making, that is a very significant outcome for Ireland. We are now net contributors, but for almost 50 years of our membership we were net recipients. I say it was up to €40 billion or €50 billion. I do not have the exact figure - I will get it for the Deputy - but it is not about that, actually.

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