Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Let us not go down the kind of Brexit Britain road here of Brussels bad, Ireland good. The reality is we are members of the European Union. After I finish taking questions, I will head to Brussels where I will participate in a decision-making process with other European Heads of Government. Members of the European Parliament, which the Deputy aspires to be, will vote democratically on behalf of the people of Europe. Ireland appoints a Commissioner to the European Commission. It is not about outsourcing. This country took a proud decision - I am not sure what the Deputy's position on it was - to join the European Union.

When you join up to rules and laws, you have to abide by them. There are court systems in place in that regard and sanctions if you do not. That of course puts member states, including Ireland, under pressure from time to time but they are rules and laws we signed up to. Nobody imposed them. Nobody said we must do this. We signed up, opted in, and chose to do that. That is part of how a rule-based system works.

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