Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister of State for his willingness to listen to the views of Members. I concur with Senator Mooney's comments. The majority of Members of the House are pro-European. Where small difficulties arise, we would like them addressed and dealt with in order that room for doubt is not created among members of the public. I welcome the Minister of State's comments on the statistics relating to polls in the context of what the people of Ireland think of Europe. When a real vote on what people think of Europe took place in the first referendum on the Nice treaty, however, and notwithstanding what the opinion polls had indicated, citizens voted differently when there was room for doubt. We need to fill the void in this regard.

Senator Mooney referred to the Sub-Committee on EU Scrutiny, of which I am a member. At 9.30 a.m. every second Thursday, the sub-committee deals with 50, 60 or 70 proposals from Europe. It is removed in every respect from the public yet each of those proposals and submissions is of great importance to every citizen. We must find some way to ensure the public knows what is done on its behalf and the relevance of the work of the Sub-Committee on EU Scrutiny.

Some time in the past 12 months we had a Europe day in the Oireachtas, at the instigation of Deputy Quinn, which worked well. A token Europe day every now and then is not enough. Who knows which of us will be here when the Oireachtas considers further reform of its business? I hope by then it will be moving towards devoting one day every week or ten days, or one week in every five or six to European issues which require that time. To have the sub-committee meeting every second week, and the Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Affairs trying to find a slot between other committees with us rushing in and out of meetings is not the way to do business.

The European Union is so relevant to every citizen that the Parliament needs to give it a little more respect. If we do that, the people will respond even more enthusiastically as we begin the next phase of EU development and further treaty debate.