Mr. Seán Kelly:

Ireland's reputation is very good. I said to the parliamentary party that I felt there was too much expectation in regard to the Irish Presidency because it was looking at the countries before us and after us and at our record where each of our six Presidencies were deemed successful. It was perhaps expecting too much of the Irish Presidency. The Irish Presidency is going well and our reputation is very good from that point of view. The vast majority of MEPs work hard.

I was asked about co-operation. We co-operate, in particular on national issues, and we discuss issues which will impact on Ireland. For example, in regard to the Common Fisheries Policy, before the vote, Mr. Pat The Cope Gallagher said to me that my group - the European People's Party - was against the Hague Preferences, which was a special arrangement for Ireland, and asked if I could get a few people to vote with us on that. I said I would because many would not know what they were voting on. Seven people around me voted in favour and it was passed by six votes, so it was crucial. We co-operate on such issues which is only right, or we nearly always co-operate. Some might have a different ideological view. However, in the vast majority of cases, we wear the green shirt once we step on the aeroplane.

In regard to the single location, the leader of our group, Joseph Dual, is great but he comes from Strasbourg, so he does not want to hear about it. However, over the past three years, the majority of MEPs have voted for a single location as opposed to going to Brussels and Strasbourg. As was said, it costs €180 million per year and the CO2 emissions are 19,000 tonnes, with lorries going to and fro. There is the inconvenience because it is more difficult to get to Strasbourg as there are fewer flights going there. It takes me approximately 13 hours to get to Strasbourg in that one has to wait on a bus for an hour in Frankfurt waiting for other MEPs to arrive. I have made a number of suggestions. We actually had a meeting last week at which I said that if MEPs wanted to keep Strasbourg, which is a lovely city, as a symbol of peace because of its history - depending on whether Germany or France won the war - perhaps we could go there one week each year. That might be a sensible proposal. Even though we go to a lovely building, it is idle 317 days of the year, so it does not make sense. That should not happen, in particular at a time of austerity.

The price of rail tickets is high but I think they are higher in Europe, unfortunately. Again, I suppose it is an internal matter. I got the train from Mallow last Saturday week and I think it cost €62 return but if one was going for more than one day, it would cost a lot more. In the times we are in, one cannot control everything. Ideally, the less public transport costs, the better but at the same time, one has to balance the books.