Michael McDowell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Last week the necessity of having a proper debate in this House on the future of Europe was raised. I ask the Deputy Leader to consider allowing such a debate. Our agenda is fairly unpacked, if I may use that phrase. There is plenty of time to debate this issue and much has to be considered in respect of it, such as the attitude of the State to what is happening in the European Union at present, the various options open to the European Union, and the agenda that is being prepared by the extreme federalists such as Guy Verhofstadt and others to bring about a federal superstate in Europe, which is not being in any way contradicted or even considered in this Parliament.

In that context we have a network of Jean Monnet professors who are paid from European Union funds, and many people who participate as experts on the future of Europe. We do not have a balanced debate because such debate as there is normally in our media on the subject of the future of Europe is between those who are absolutely and radically opposed to the European project at all and those who are quiet sleepers or active enthusiasts for the federal superstate project on the other.

The last time The Irish Times asked its readers what they genuinely thought about the process of European integration, the people by a margin of 3:1 or 2.5:1 were in favour of the position adopted by David Cameron in his requests to his fellow European partners for some latitude which would enable him to win the Brexit debate. That is worth remembering. A very considerable majority of Irish people do not share the minority federalist view and, when asked about it, fairly and squarely say so. It is about time that our Government clearly articulated a vision of Europe which is based on partnership among member states who share certain aspects of their sovereignty and which states that there are other areas, particularly relating to tax sovereignty that we have no intention whatsoever of backing away from and on which we will always maintain our independence.