James Bannon (Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to conclude the debate on this Bill. We all know he has served on every rung of the ladder. He has served on Donegal County Council, in the national Parliament, at ministerial level and as an MEP for the Connacht-Ulster constituency. I regret that we have not retained the name of that constituency because the names of the provinces refer to our Irish identity.

I join the Minister of State in his tribute to the outgoing MEPs of the island of Ireland. They did an excellent job and kept Ireland to the forefront in mainland Europe. We have always had the proud distinction of having good people to represent us in Europe, both Commissioners and MEPs. No matter what part of Europe to which one travels, people know at least half of the Irish MEPs, which shows the high esteem in which they are held throughout Europe. I wish them well. I also wish the best to the candidates going forward and hope the best will be selected by the electorate next June.