When the gravy train has run into the buffers we have discovered that, among the various peoples of the Europe Union, the Irish are the most ignorant about what has been happening. They are the least interested in the issues affecting the future of the European Union. With the cheques rapidly becoming a thing of the past, many do not know what Europe is for. It is little wonder that, when the people were called on to vote on the Nice treaty last year, the vast majority did not understand what was going on. This was not just because of a complacent Government which failed to campaign effectively in favour of the treaty last year, something it recognises it failed to do, it was just as much the fruit of 30 years of keeping the people on the sidelines where European issues were concerned.