Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)

I want the Minister of State to reply to my question in her response. I am curious to establish the significance of the accession of the Republic of Croatia. There has been strong support for Croatia's accession from all parties, inside and outside of Government, dating back to the mid-1990s. We have raised the issue in the past and the Minister of State is probably actively doing that daily. It should be remembered that we, as a small country, need to forge alliances or consolidate alliances of mutual interests. What significance in terms of Ireland's interests does the Minister of State attach to the accession of the Republic of Croatia?