I was asked if a proposal, when it comes before the Commission, is dealt with by a faceless bureaucrat. The answer is "No". It is sent to the Council of Ministers so that each state can play its role and it is also sent to the European Parliament which provides a counter-balance. Only at the end of a double reading process – somewhat similar to the multi-readings that occur here – can a proposal become law. We are not discussing old colonialism or the need to bend the knee or tip the forelock. We are not concerned with that kind of Ireland. Ours is an Ireland that plays an active role, in its own interests, at every forum; it is not the old Ireland. In that sense, the perspective of the interlocutor to whom reference was made may be understandable but, in my view, it is not sustainable.