Ms Maria Walsh:

No, the Leas-Chathaoirleach is all right because the next hard question would be more difficult.

The conversation on defence from the present Commission is worrisome, considering we are a neutral State. Looking at the way our Defence Forces, the Reserve Defence Forces and peacekeeping work, I would keep a close eye on that. We will discuss it at the EPP group next week. Where the German elections rise and fall will be of interest for that.

One of the biggest issues, and it also affects the constituency, so I will cross-section the two questions, is what it means to be an Irish person and a European person. We look at Europe in terms of our take, concerning the CAP and directives. Some are positive and others are negative. Regarding how we look at and talk about the EU's solidarity and returning to Mr. Markey's and Senator Chambers' point about vaccines, that was probably the first time we talked about and celebrated it in mass solidarity.

On Senator O'Reilly's point, our green initiatives and agendas constitute, from a young perspective, the biggest issue across Midlands-North-West, I believe from speaking with schools and third levels. I also believe that, while it is not an EU competency, the way we talk about and fund mental health at a national level will feed into how discuss it at a European level.