Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Ar an gcéad dul síos, gabhaim buíochas leis an gComisinéir as ucht na hóráide iontaí a thug sé inniu. In welcoming Mr. Hogan I also welcome his former constituency colleague and friend, Minister of State, Deputy John Paul Phelan, to the Visitors' Gallery. The Commissioner's address to the Seanad today is, as Senator McDowell has said, timely and necessary.We very much welcome and applaud the remarks of Mr. Hogan. I hope the UK Government and the Brexiteers will listen to what he said. Today we have called out the falsehoods in their misdirected approach to Brexit. I commend the Commissioner for his courage, not just today but in general. He is a member of the European Commission but he is also wearing the Irish jersey and has done so in a very positive way to bring our case to the European continent. There is no "them and us" in Europe. We are all Europeans, of Europe and working for a better Europe. Senators Ó Domhnaill and Richmond spoke of its benefits to us as a country, a people and a union. The Commissioner should take Senator Richmond's point back to promote Europe and sell its positivity.

I congratulate and thank the Members for their contributions. Our relationship with Europe has been a positive one. Through being a member we have brought huge economic, social and cultural change to our country and people. We are no longer the inward looking protectionist country. We are outward looking, innovative and highly progressive. I ask everyone, as Senator Mulherin said, to engage in the debate on the future of Europe and to do so as citizens and not just to focus on the institutions. Let us look at what Europe has done and can do. The Commissioner referred to trade deals. Are we not economically better because of those deals? I commend the Commissioner's work.

The nation will have challenges in the post-Brexit era. It must face them as an active member of the EU. That means Members of this House being involved in Oireachtas committees. I commend Senator Richmond for his role as Chairman of the Seanad Special Select Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union which, long before it became popular to do so, raised issues that are now coming to the fore. That is the benefit of being a Member of this House and having a standalone Brexit committee. We have Members who are committed to, and interested in, challenging the views of others.

I commend Mr. Hogan for his role as a Commissioner. Many Members have mentioned reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, and the importance of agriculture to our country. We remain a strongly agriculture-based society and country. We are fortunate in having someone of the calibre and stature of Mr. Hogan as a Commissioner. We stand at a crossroads for Europe and do not know what the future looks like. We must question, probe and put forward solutions. I thank the Commissioner for being here, for his work and for his commitment to Ireland and its people. I thank him too for his many years of public service and wish him well in his remaining years as Commissioner and perhaps, as Senator Leyden said, for a second term.