Kieran O'Donnell (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister and congratulate him on his reappointment. I wish him well.

The European Union was set up after the Second World War where it was agreed in the spirit of Schuman and others that we would be creating a Europe where war would never happen again. However, there was also an economic context to that.

We cannot ignore the advance of people such as Mr. Nigel Farage, MEP, and his party, UKIP. If the UK had our electoral system, UKIP would have seats in Parliament, but this does not happen with the first-past-the-post system.

We cannot ignore that there is clearly disenchantment with much of what has happened in Europe. From our point of view, the design of the euro and the establishment of the European Central Bank initially did not favour small nations. It was set up around a principle preferred by the Germans which was based on an inflation rate of 2%. There are elements we have to look at. We cannot ignore why this referendum has come about with ordinary people.

Taken in its context, I believe it is not good for Europe overall. Europe overall will be weakened by Britain leaving the European Union. Britain would also be weakened by leaving the European Union. For us in Ireland there is no benefit. It is a question of how exactly it will impact on us, but it will. It will impact us in a number of areas. Clearly economically it will impact on us. If sterling weakens, our exports are less competitive in a British market and that will cost jobs. We do not know how many jobs, but it will cost jobs.

In the area of education, many of our students attend college in the UK. It would probably have implications for fees for their parents and the students themselves. On travel and free movement, there will be implications for us. However, there will also be implications for British workers going throughout Europe and people coming into Britain.

On health, at the moment if we travel anywhere in Britain or the European Union effectively we get access to the same services we get in Ireland. That, more than likely, would change.

Energy operates on an all-Ireland basis, both North and South. The Northern part of Ireland and we down here effectively have a common energy market and that could be affected.

Could it have implications for the peace process in the North? Yes it could. These are all factors we have to take into account. The decision to be made by the people in Britain is monumental. At present, 600,000 people born in Ireland live in Britain, as do 2 million to 3 million second and third generation Irish. One of the complaints I have is that in debates people are made to go to polarised sides and common-sense debate does not happen. The normal rules by which people debate almost seem to go out the window. This morning I heard a man from Britain being interviewed. He stated that at that moment he did not know how he would vote. He could not get a clear pattern of the implications it would have. After the Second World War Winston Churchill called for a united states of Europe and a couple of decades later we have many Conservatives - he was once of a different party, the Liberals - looking to leave Europe.. They are doing the people of Britain an injustice because I cannot see how they will benefit. They will not benefit economically or socially. They will not benefit from European movement. I am concerned that people will vote on an emotive basis and how they feel about what is happening in Europe. They might feel certain factors are not working in their interests, but rather than voting on the issue-----