Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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183. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the work ongoing in his Department relating to the White Paper on the Future of Europe. [46927/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Following the UK vote to leave the EU a debate on the Future of Europe was launched by EU Heads of State and Government in Bratislava in September 2016. The European Commission subsequently published a White Paper on the Future of Europe, and followed up with a series of reflection papers covering a number of key issues including European Defence, EMU and Globalisation. The main thrust of the White Paper is an attempt to look at some of the options or different paths that the EU could take over the next decade. The options are by no means exhaustive, nor are they mutually exclusive. We have welcomed the White Paper and the Reflection Papers as important contributions to the evolving debate on the Future of Europe. These papers are for the most part cross-cutting in nature and are being examined across a number of Government Departments. At last month’s European Council President Donald Tusk formally launched his Leaders’ Agenda. He is proposing an ambitious work programme for the next two years. His intention is to maintain unity among the 27 by facilitating a more dynamic process – restoring ownership to the European Council and seeking to find pragmatic ways forward. President Tusk’s approach should ensure an inclusive way forward, building on the Bratislava Process. We strongly support President Tusk’s positive forward-looking agenda, focused on some of the key challenges facing Europe and its citizens. On Friday, the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar T.D., and his counterparts will have a discussion at a summit in Sweden on education and culture as part of the Leaders’ Agenda.

Tomorrow the Taoiseach and I, together with the Minister for European Affairs, will formally launch the Citizens’ Dialogue on the Future of Europe at the Science Gallery in Trinity College Dublin. This will mark the formal start of a process designed to engage the Irish public directly in a debate on the kind of Europe they want to see evolve. Our aim is to raise awareness of the issues involved; to encourage participation in the debate; and to use this engagement process to formulate Ireland’s contribution to the wider European debate.

In taking forward this debate, our focus will be on delivering a positive EU agenda with concrete outcomes that directly benefit Irish and EU citizens.