Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Yes, absolutely. The conversation we had in terms of the more informal discussion at the General Affairs Council, in particular on the sustainable development goals, is that we would not just look at a European agenda but that there would be a focus on the implementation plans for individual member states as well. It is a two-pronged approach. The overall reasoning behind the document was to try to reinvigorate the issue and the implementation of the goals that have already been set out.

There is a significant amount of positive things happening. This conversation is an opportunity for us to highlight that and acknowledge that there are challenges but that we are better and stronger working together and that while people have difficulties, the best way to deal with them is by working together. Ireland has always benefitted from our engagement with the EU. In the 45 years of our membership, we have acted in the same way as some of the founding members have and we have taken great pride in being very much ingrained in the very fabric of the European Union, whether it is in the Parliament, the Council or the Commission, and we have held some of the very highest positions within those institutions. In recent times we have perhaps failed in that regard through lack of applications or individuals not being as interested in applying to work within the European institutions and agencies. We are now coming to a stage where we have something of a demographic cliff edge as many of our officials are moving towards retirement age. A significant amount of work is being done at the moment to try to encourage younger people, through universities and the studies they are currently undertaking, to apply for those positions and ensure that when the agendas are being set, when the budgets are negotiated and specific issues are discussed that we have Irish people around the table and that the Irish voice, perspective and opinion is very much at the heart of everything that is being done from the inside out. I thank Senators for their contributions and I look forward to continuing to work with them.

Reference was made to our values. We must challenge each other when we feel that our values are being in any way undermined, whether it is the rule of law, freedom of expression, humanitarian rights or democracy. In recent months we have seen challenges to those, especially the rule of law. As a country, Ireland has always spoken out where we see that those values are being undermined by individual member states or organisations. We will continue to do that, now more than ever, in particular in the face of Brexit and the many other challenges.Now more than ever, particularly in the face of Brexit and many other challenges, we must continue to stand up for the values that underpin the European Union: democracy, the rule of law and human rights.