Malcolm Noonan (Green Party)

In his remarks the Minister of State said that the Department states that the MFF should reflect the needs of Irish citizens, yet there has not been sufficient engagement. A poll from European Movement Ireland that was released today should be of interest to all Members and it looks at falling trust in European institutions and in the EU generally. It is a slow feed but it is of concern. What better way to restore trust in European institutions than by having public engagement in one of the most significant things it does, which is its budget and the MFF? My message to the Minister and the Government generally is that there needs to be civil society engagement on this issue. I note the points the Minister of State made about defence spending and it is of concern to many people, to NGOs and to the wider sector that LIFE programme funding and CAP funding will be cut at the expense of defence spending. It is critically important the Government engages with civil society and sees it as an opportunity to engage with civil society in a positive way on how the next MFF is framed.