Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)

I join Senator Mooney in welcoming the President of the European Parliament, Mr. Pat Cox, and thank him for his most enlightening and passionate address. He pointed out that we face a rendezvous with political history. For Members of the House, Saturday week is also a rendezvous with political reality. In that regard, I concur with Senator Mooney's comment that too many people in this country regard the referendum campaign and the opportunity we have on Saturday week as irrelevant.

Mr. Cox pointed out that going backwards is not and should not be a choice. In attempting to go forward one of the things we must address is the political deficit in Europe and our failure as a people to connect with its institutions. For too long too many of us viewed Europe as a bank of financial goodies from which we could draw when help was required.

The financial aspect of the equation aside, we regarded Europe as little more than the source of "Brussels speak". We saw little relevance in the European Parliament and the European Commission and took scant interest in the deliberations of the Council of Ministers. The challenge facing us is to redress that perception. What suggestions or advice does Mr. Cox have to ensure that, as part of this political rendezvous with history and European reality, the people engage more fully with the politics of Europe?

Mr. Cox stated that of all the challenges facing Europe, the Nice treaty is the greatest. He also made a point, with which I fully agree, which could in a sense be regarded as a contradiction, namely, that the Nice treaty is a simple one. The fact that we are having such a major debate suggests that it is a huge leap in the dark. Will Mr. Cox expand a little on the reason it is both a large step and a small simple step? We need to engage with the public more fully on the reasons this is both a huge question and at the same time a simple one. How will we sell that message between now and Saturday week?