Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

At the European Council and across Europe, to what extent is there development or growth of cohesiveness as opposed to divisiveness in the knowledge that if separatism is pursued by one or all member states, there will be no Union? While it might seem like a good idea at the time Europe's history will tell us very clearly that this particular policy was not well received in the past and had a huge cost across Europe. Are we working on the need to provide that cohesiveness as opposed to fragmentation? Are we alert to the dangers of fragmentation? Are we sufficiently alert to the fact that the UK left the European Union? For the UK, it was to solve all problems at the time and forever. However, it did not do so. Is it recognised across Europe that those are circumstances over which we do have some control at this stage? Will we continue to do so?

See this speech in context