Cathal Berry (Kildare South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I bid the Minister good evening. I am very grateful for the opportunity to make some brief comments to mark Europe Day on behalf of the Regional Group. While Ireland only joined 51 years ago, it is very fair to say that Europe has had a transformative effect on the country from a economic, environmental and societal perspectives. As the previous speaker mentioned, it is very important to remember not only has Europe had a very positive influence and impact on Ireland, but Ireland has also had a very positive and influential impact on Europe. We have enriched the European Union and it has learned a lot from us.

In many ways we have a symbiotic relationship now. We are mutually dependent on each other and this is a very good thing.

It is also worth noting that no two EU countries have ever gone to war. I know we take it for granted now but it was not always the case. If the European Union does nothing else other than prevent the outbreak of conflict in Europe, it has probably done enough. Obviously it is doing far more than that. The European Continent was always synonymous with being the cradle of conflict which transformed the world for all the wrong reasons. It engulfed the world in large conflicts. Now the European Continent is synonymous with being a beacon of stability and prosperity. This is something we should never lose sight of.

I want to single out the success of the Good Friday Agreement. I do not think it would have happened without the support of the European Union. Obviously it was not one of the formal guarantors but if we contrast what is happening in the Middle East with what happened in Northern Ireland, every one of the external actors in Northern Ireland wanted peace, including the US, the Irish, the British and, in particular, the European Union. Not only was the European Union instrumental in the signing and drafting of the Good Friday Agreement but there has also been its support over the past 25 years, in particular in the past five years during the Brexit process.

I also want to focus on the support the European Union has given Ukraine, particularly over the past two years. It is fair to say that were it not for the European Union's political, diplomatic, financial, humanitarian and military support, there would be Russian armour sitting on the Polish border right now and probably further into the Baltics and maybe even the Nordics. If we think we have a problem with forced immigration now, I can only imagine how much worse the situation would be had 40 million Ukrainians been overrun in their home country. We should always be mindful of that.

I particularly welcome the €50 billion allocated to support Ukraine in recent weeks. The reason the European Union is giving the support is self-evident. It is important from a Ukrainian perspective but it is also important from a European perspective. I can say with absolute certainty there is no way that US support would be present for Ukraine were it not for the European support. The US support came as a precondition of European support.

It is also worth mentioning this is the 20th anniversary of the largest enlargement of the European Union, when ten countries joined while Ireland held the Presidency. I remember the day well. It is unthinkable now that Malta, Poland and the Baltic countries were once not part of the European Union. It was almost a seamless transition. It is a classic example of how successful the European Union can be. This leads to my next point on further enlargement. We do have a immigration issue. It is a global phenomenon, with the mass movement of migrants against their wishes in many cases. One of the key solutions to this, and I have heard many of the contributions from other Deputies, is to address the issues in the countries of origin where these people come from. That is the focus. If we can level the playing field and distribute peace and prosperity to the neighbourhood of the European Union, people would be very happy to stay in their own countries, just like Irish people are happy to stay where they are. I very much welcome the fact that Ukraine, Moldova and some of the Balkan countries are candidate countries or are negotiating accession treaties even as we speak. It is very positive. If we bring in more countries, and it is done in a very tapered and managed process, it can only bring benefits to those countries particularly and to the European Union as a whole.

I want to mention the European elections. The European Parliament is an essential institution. The European Commission represents the Union, the Council represents the individual governments and the European Parliament represents the people. It is very important that we select the right people to attend on behalf of Ireland. We have to be very discerning. We know what people stand for, or at least claim to stand for, but we should also ask them what their competencies are, what value they can add and what they can bring to the table. I am very encouraged, and I hope the Minister of State is also, that so far, at least from what I have seen, the debate with regard to the European Parliament elections has been very civil and courteous. That is from what I have seen at least and long may it continue. It has not been as acrimonious as previous elections and I hope this is a good thing that we can look forward to in future.

Is the European Union perfect? Of course not but, despite all of its imperfections, many countries are clamouring to get in. By extension, the European Union must be doing something right. The European Union will never be perfect and nor should it be. It will always be a work in progress. It will always be unfinished. It is up to this generation to do what we can to improve it and pass the baton to the next generation to take it a step further. We are marking 73 years, on balance good years, of the European Union. I very much look forward to an additional 73 at least with further economic and social progress.

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