Senators:

I may have to shorten a visit to some Arab countries but it is important to show solidarity. On red tape bureaucracy, we must find middle ground. If we introduce too much regulation then parts of the political spectrum will not want anything to do with Brussels. Those who prefer regulation will, if left alone, do too much. We must take all people with us on the European project. This is why I favour a policy oriented in the centre. I hope I have answered all Senator Alex White's questions.

Senators:

Senator Fiona O'Malley of the Progressive Democrats also asked some questions. In the European Parliament the Progressive Democrats would be in the liberal democratic group, ALDE. We have many difficult abbreviations in the European Parliament. The alliance of the liberal and democratic parties is now chaired by Mr. Graham Watson and was previously chaired by Mr. Pat Cox prior to his election as President of the European Parliament. We worked closely together when I was leader of our party.

Senators:

Senator O'Malley spoke about flexibility, which I like. I was astonished at what I learned last night. Following dinner I always like to walk rather than to travel by car. The driver told me this morning that if I lived here I would be popular with the drivers because as I prefer to walk they could go home. I walked around and saw all the nice pubs outside which there were many people smoking. As a non-smoker I often feel sorry for smokers who must leave restaurants to smoke. I learned yesterday that Ireland was the first country to implement regulation in this field. It was Ireland's choice and it had a right to do this.

Senators:

I will tell the Members a nice little story about Europe. I told it first at the Catholic faculty of an institution in south Germany — and am daring to also tell it here again — when a friend, the former Prime Minister of Baden-Württemberg, was given an honorary doctorate. At the end of the story all the theological professors there smiled and laughed. I will give Members an example of our European psychology.

Senators:

When I was chairman of the EEP-ED Group we had a bureau meeting in a nice hotel in Bordeaux, although it was not as nice as the one in which I had the honour and pleasure to stay last night. I wish I had some more hours in that beautiful hotel. We had a meeting in a good hotel in Bordeaux. I chaired the meeting which continued for some four or five hours, after which I paid a visit to the toilet. Before explaining this little story I must tell Members that the constitutional treaty was partly rejected in France because the French feared the threat posed to other workers by the "Polish plumber" under the provisions of the services directive. The first proposal of the then Commissioner Bolkestein was to make the market totally free. Thus the French were afraid of the threat to French workers posed by the Polish plumber.

Senators:

Now I can continue with the story. At the end of the meeting as I was on my way to the toilet I met a Swedish colleague who, having been there, told me they need "the Polish plumber". I will not explain to my colleagues the conditions he described which I subsequently saw, but I can only say they needed "the Polish plumber".

Senators:

Some weeks later, and this is the truth, I was in Paris and was invited by a German diplomatic couple to their apartment for coffee. As always, there was only ten minutes for coffee but it was enough time for me to speak about the experience I have had in my life, as I do here. They had a beautiful apartment and they told me that they had waited for a year for a plumber to repair their heating.

Senators:

This is a nice story but what does it illustrate? It shows that the thinking of the people is totally different from their needs. The French in this case, and others as well, need Polish plumbers, but the French thought that in this special historic situation the Polish plumber would be a threat to them but this was wrong. They voted "No". The Irish people are intelligent and wise and I will not make a recommendation, but the Members know my beliefs.

Senators:

Money may be important. Is there any person who does not like money? All people like it. Organisations and institutions are important, but what is unique in the European Union, of which we can be proud, is that we share the same values. We should speak about these values, namely, the dignity of the human being, human rights, democracy, legal order and the principle of solidarity. The European Union is not without mistakes. However, if one takes note of what is happening elsewhere in the world, one will note that the European Continent, made up of Ireland, Germany and the other member states, is based on these values. We have a duty to defend our values. I hope that everybody in Ireland when they vote in the referendum, which will probably be held on 12 June, will make a decision having regard to our being united in the European Union on the basis of the values we share. I thank the Members for the good time they have shown me in this Chamber.