Feargal Quinn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator van Turnhout for allowing me to speak before her. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Dara Murphy, and I am delighted to hear what he had to say.

Senator Noone referred to 1973, but I will go back to 1958 when I had just finished in university. On the following day I went to the Continent and spent the winter there. I came back from that winter believing for the first time that there was a thing called Europe. We never heard of it back in the 1950s and had not even recognised Europe. At around that time, or shortly afterwards, President de Gaulle said "Non" - he did not want Britain or Ireland coming into the Common Market. We did come in at a later stage, however.

Later on I became the president of Euro Commerce, which represents all the retail and wholesale trades in Europe. I was president for three years and vice president for a further three years. In those days, that body represented 27 countries, not 28. It was a real reminder of the opportunities we have.

The Minister of State spoke about the digital Single Market and the 16 key actions that will be taken, which is a reminder of what can be done on this basis. As a European I am excited about what we can achieve. Rather than covering some of the areas that will be mentioned in this debate, I will touch on one or two others. We should be having more debates on the EU itself. Currently there are several prominent issues to the fore to which we are not paying attention.

Two of the great successes of the EU, free movement and the creation of a common currency, are being severely undermined. First, we must discuss the plight of emigrants who try to reach the EU. Some EU member states, such as Italy, Malta and Greece, are bearing most of the responsibility for illegal migrants. It is estimated that 50% of illegal migrants end up in Greece because it is the first EU country they reach. We are spared this due to our location, but we cannot turn a blind eye to it. We spoke about this the other day when it was announced that the LE Eithnewould sail to the Mediterranean. That vessel will rescue people who are in danger of drowning and then leave them on the shores of Italy and Malta. I could well imagine Malta, Greece and Italy saying: "Hold it. Why should we have to burden ourselves with all these immigrants that are coming?" In the context of discussions on how Europe treats the so-called boat people, I think we have a moral obligation to take more of these people who are fleeing from terrible conflicts, such as the one going on in Syria.

I will quote from a recent article in The Economist, which stated that

Generous countries like Sweden and Germany want others to take up the slack: two-thirds of migrants end up in just five EU countries, according to [German Chancellor] Angela Merkel ... The countries on the front line, like Italy and Malta, want the task of processing asylum-seekers to be redistributed. Everyone accepts that the Dublin regulation, according to which asylum-seekers should be dispatched to their European country of entry for processing, is a failure.

I do not think that regulation is working, so we must find a solution. I would be interested to know the Minister of State's view on Ireland's role in that particular area.

Unfortunately, the plight of people in the Ukraine is not getting the attention it needs, yet they are an immediate neighbour of the EU's. It has been reported that aid organisations are advised not to give families in the rebel zones in the Ukraine the €268 cash assistance to which they are entitled for fear of driving up inflation. People there rely increasingly on small parcels of food and other products donated from private individuals. That is a real concern. Perhaps Ireland could play a greater role through Irish Aid and its world-renowned NGOs to help those suffering on Europe's doorstep.

As a business person, I would like to see more research on the cost of EU legislation to Ireland through a detailed audit. Germany's Better Regulation Council says that at least half, if not 60%, of the regulatory costs for businesses is generated by EU legislation. It is easy for MEPs and EU officials in Brussels to pass legislation and for that to be transposed into Irish legislation, which can have a massive effect on SMEs. In this respect, I was glad to read last week that there has been a proposal at EU level that any new laws adopted by the EU will have to be approved by an independent scrutiny panel to make sure they do not impose unnecessary burdens on businesses before they can be tabled. This is according to a leaked document from the European Commission. I hope this is true, as similar proposals in the past have not happened. This is something Ireland could push for at EU level.

Other speakers have referred to the possible implications of an UK exit from the EU, and Northern Ireland's corporation tax rate. One of the most important questions we must consider is what would happen if the UK leaves the European Union, the so-called BrExit. We will know more about that tonight because if the Conservatives win the election, they have promised a referendum on that issue. The BrExit is inextricably linked to the outcome of the UK general election, so we need to prepare ourselves for all eventualities. It is amazing to consider that each week there is €1 billion worth of trade between both countries, supporting about 400,000 jobs. There is no getting away from the fact that we are the UK's largest trading partner.

A new report by the German think tank Bertelsmann-Stiftung,examined three possible scenarios under which the UK could leave the European Union: one, a so-called soft exit whereby the UK secures a trade agreement and status comparable to that of Norway and Switzerland; two, a deep cut, where the UK enjoys a trading status equivalent to that between the EU and the United States; and three, isolation. Under the best case scenario, the Irish economy would contract by at least 0.8%, which is incredible. They say, however, that we would suffer an even bigger economic hit of 2.7% if the UK was unable to agree an EU trade deal. This is the sort of study that we should be doing ourselves. I urge the Government to consider what we should be doing.

We should also consider the plan that Northern Ireland has to reduce its corporation tax to 12.5% to match the rate here. The rate is currently 20% in the UK, so I wonder how much foreign investment and jobs we are likely to lose if that goes ahead. Do we have any figures on this and, if not, is it possible to get them?

I am delighted the Minister of State has attended the House on Europe Day. It gives us an opportunity to discuss these items. Having listened to Senators Leyden and Noone, I believe they are on top of what is happening. However, I do not think we are giving the matter enough attention in general in Ireland. We should do so in future. I know the Minister of State's heart is in the right place in this regard.