Caít Keane (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Deputy Higgins to the House. I thank him for the kind words he said about his enjoyable experiences here. One is not supposed to enjoy anything in politics. It should be painful all the way.

I would like to ask a question about the future of Europe. There has been a great deal of talk about the proposed referendum in the UK and the trouble it could cause. Recently, some 130 MPs voted in favour of a motion expressing regret that the referendum was not mentioned in the Queen's speech. I am not asking Deputy Higgins to comment on the internal politics of it. If our closest commercial allies have a referendum on the EU, could it have a knock-on effect on us?

Senator van Turnhout mentioned a conference on the future of Europe. I would like to refer to Jean-Claude Piris's book on the future of Europe, which was published last year. Mr. Piris has been involved in legal aspects of much of the architecture of the EU. In his book, he deals with some of the proposals for the future direction of the EU. Does Deputy Higgins think the EU is well prepared to address the current and future challenges it might face? The terminology that is used refers to a "two-speed" Europe. The Lisbon treaty provides for closer integration among certain member states. Is the debate ongoing in Europe? Is it happening at all? Will it land on us? We have had enough surprises in this country without having to cater for any more. We should be prepared for all eventualities.