Paul Bradford (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this debate. We have already had a number of debates on Ireland's Presidency of the European Council, one third of which has almost passed. We look forward to progress being made.

This is the year of the European citizen. What will be the response of Irish and European citizens when the Irish Presidency ends? Irish Presidencies, since the first headed up by former Taoiseach, Liam Cosgrave in 1975, have been successful from a management perspective and the delivery of the tasks set. However, Presidencies come and go and people quickly forget about them. The answer to the question, "What will Irish and European citizens remember about this Presidency in six months' time?", will be definitive in terms of our workload and progress. All politics is full of jargon. The language of politics, in particular European politics, is generally full of jargon. Our former colleague and political director extraordinaire, Eoghan Harris, described it as the jungle of jargon. How can we ensure this language impacts on the people?

The phrase "jobs, growth and stability" is often mentioned. It is a slogan that must become a reality. From what we have heard today, and since the commencement of the Presidency, much is being done in this regard. However, a project that must receive maximum attention and must be at the core of the Presidency's work is, as mentioned by Senator Quinn and others, the development of EU-US trade. The freeing up an economic space wherein trillions of dollars of economic activity can be created will lead to growth, jobs and stability.

That is the yardstick by which we judge the progress we are making. While the European Council meetings, ministerial meetings and draft papers are all very important, the results can only be judged in terms of growth, stability and jobs. In a sense, it is quite amazing that it is only in recent years that we are giving sufficient attention to this US-EU free trade arrangement. It should have happened decades ago. In the context of two massive world trading blocs, both with very solid political and economic systems , it is quite unbelievable that such barriers have been allowed to exist. That has to be the main task of this Government and the Presidency.

I was very taken by the comments of one of my colleagues regarding the Taoiseach being in the United States on St. Patrick's Day, which illustrated the fresh, innovative thinking which often comes from the Seanad rather than the Dáil. On that day in the White House, the Taoiseach should not just be Enda Kenny, Prime Minister of Ireland but also Enda Kenny, President of Europe, speaking not just for Ireland but also for Europe. He should talk about the hundreds of thousands of jobs that can be created across the European continent and particularly in this country. Of course, for every dollar of US investment in Europe, a very significant proportion will inevitably come here. We must try to free up trade between the US and Europe, which is a big task. I look forward to hearing the Minister of State's comments on this matter but we can always have a bilateral meeting about it later if needs be.