Written answers

Wednesday, 20 April 2016

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

EU Issues

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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395. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which particular emphasis is placed on efforts within the European Union to address the issue of euroscepticism; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7721/16]

Photo of Charles FlanaganCharles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The issue of euro-scepticism is complex and multifaceted, but is by no means a majority position across the EU or its Member States. Governments and citizens across Europe continue to hold broadly positive views on the European union. The EU, and Ireland as a Member State, engages with the big issues of the day, whether they relate to stability, jobs and growth, or to challenges external and internal, such as migration and international terrorism. It is important to continue to engage with these issues at the EU-level if we are serious about addressing them. Equally, our Union’s positive image depends to a large degree on its ability to respond to these challenges in a way that commands public confidence. We must work both to ensure that the EU does its own work better and that it is better communicated to the public. The Government has worked closely with the EU Institutions and our fellow Member States to put the citizen at the heart of the EU agenda for sustainable investment, growth and job creation.

The Juncker Commission has strengthened engagement with the public and is making good on its commitment to develop a Commission which is ‘’more ambitious on big things and more modest on little things’’, thus ensuring a focus on the areas where the EU can deliver value and allowing other matters to be regulated at the national level.

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