Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Acting Chairman. He has proved that it is not possible to cover all of the benefits in the time available. I have not even addressed the future of Europe. It is a challenge. The EU is not perfect, as we all acknowledge. I am the Vice Chairman of the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach. We disagree with many countries in Europe on closed-circuit television, CCTV, and some of the proposals on digital taxation. My party believes the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD, is a better place for this country to examine the global tax burden and ensure global companies pay their taxes where they should. The EU is not necessarily the best way of doing that. It could damage the competitiveness of Europe.

If the Acting Chairman will indulge me slightly, I will continue. It is important that we challenge the extremes appearing in certain countries, whether on the right or left. We must bring people back to the centre. I hope people in this country will vote for our European candidates and ensure that Fianna Fáil, as a centrist party, will be represented in the EU Parliament. I sure other people will profess that view for their own parties when they get the opportunity to contribute. We need to send good quality candidates to represent Ireland in Europe, whether there are 11 or 13 MEPs. This is a valuable debate and I thank the Minister of State for attending. I am sorry I do not have more time because I could go on.

My mother, as I said, was a co-ordinator on an Erasmus social science programme. She won the Irish European woman of the year award from the European Movement Ireland in 1997. Europe is something that has been close to my family's heart and mine. That would be the case even if I had never been involved in front-line politics. Europe has been an enormous advantage for this country. That does not mean there are not challenges. We had challenges with the euro and the ECB. The euro has given us great stability but there are challenges. Let us, however, work together for the betterment of the whole of Europe and, particularly, for this island.

I did not even touch on the peace process and all of the benefits the Good Friday Agreement brought to this country. I apologise. I can only do so much in eight minutes. I thank the Acting Chairman for indulging me.