Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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504. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the action that continues to be taken throughout the European Union to address the issues of euro-scepticism with particular reference to the growth of nationalist sentiments which if allowed to continue can have a detrimental effect on the future of the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45684/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The issue of euro-scepticism is complex and multi-faceted. The Spring 2015 Eurobarometer survey provides some insights into the views of EU citizens, recording that the image of the EU across the Union improved for the fourth consecutive time since autumn 2013. The same study showed that the proportion of Europeans who see the EU in a positive light has increased by six percentage points in the year since spring 2014 and by eleven points in two years (since spring 2013), and is the largest recorded since the Standard Eurobarometer survey of spring 2010. During the same periods, the percentage of Europeans with a negative image of the EU has decreased by six and ten points respectively.

It would be important that the Union’s response to more recent events and challenges facing the Union would continue to enhance public confidence. In this regard, dealing effectively with the current migration crisis as well as the continuing economic challenges is essential.

In Ireland, the Government’s focus is on building understanding and knowledge about our membership of the EU. This includes targeted spending on EU engagement, including support for the activities of local community groups and non-governmental organisations through the Communicating Europe Initiative. The Government also works closely with the European Commission Representation and the European Parliament Information Office in Dublin to improve communications on EU issues in Ireland and promote greater understanding of the EU.

A similar approach to communication has been adopted, with varying degrees of success, in other Member States of the EU, and the Institutions of the EU have invested heavily in making their work more accessible and more transparent to European citizens.

We must also work to ensure that the EU does its own work better. The Government has worked closely with the EU Institutions and with our fellow Member States to put the citizen at the heart of the EU’s work and to deliver concrete, tangible results of benefit to sustainable investment, growth and job creation.

The Juncker Commission has strengthened engagement with the public and made good on his commitment to develop a Commission which ‘’does things differently and does different things’’ and which is ‘’more ambitious on big things and more modest on little things’’. The 2016 Commission Work Plan continues to push big initiatives of importance to the Irish and the European citizen alike: the Digital Single Market, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, the 2030 Climate and Energy Package, to name but a few.

The Government will continue its efforts to communicate Europe, and will, of course, work alongside the Governments of fellow EU Member States and the EU institutions to keep European citizens at the heart of the EU agenda. We are strongly supportive of EU-wide efforts to promote sustainable investment, growth and job creation, and we will work to keep the concrete delivery of results at the top of the EU agenda.