Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 February 2012
65Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he undertakes any activities in conjunction with the EU representation in Ireland to promote EU values here; the work he carries out abroad to promote the EU through Ireland’s diplomatic representation; his plans for such work; the plans in place for Europe day in the Oireachtas this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9557/12]
View answer81Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which he continues to use his influence at EU level to reaffirm focus on a cohesive vision of a modern Europe with particular reference to the ideals as set out by Europe’s founding fathers; the extent to which it has been possible to obtain reassurances in respect of this commitment; if the experience over the past five years has served as a useful reminder of the need to return to the values and ideals of Adenauer, Monnet and Schuman; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9603/12]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 65 and 81 together.
Both questions touch on fundamental aspects of Ireland's relationship with the European Union and I welcome the opportunity to record once again the firm commitment of the Government to the ideals and values enshrined in the European treaties. The European Union has faced and continues to confront a crisis of a scale and complexity that has been without precedent since its foundation. It is understandable that concerns have been expressed both about the adequacy and the manner of our collective response to that crisis. I am confident, however, that when we look back at this difficult period, we will see that it was precisely those ideals and values of solidarity and co-operation espoused by the founders of today's European Union that steered us safely through the crisis. Every step of the way we have seen the European institutions, particularly the Commission, the European Council and the Parliament, working together to seek common solutions to shared problems. In a matter of months, we have made unparalleled efforts to reinforce structures for economic governance and devised new instruments to safeguard the economic stability of the European Union.
The Government is also committed to ensuring our citizens have adequate information to form a judgment on the European Union and Ireland's place in it. Working with the European Commission representation and the European Parliament office in Dublin we have an agreed joint communications strategy which aims to improve communications on European Union issues in Ireland and to promote greater understanding of the EU. My officials meet the heads of the Commission and Parliament officials here on a monthly basis to review progress on the implementation of the plan. We work closely together on a range of initiatives such as the recently launched Blue Star programme for schools, an initiative I pioneered in the Department of the Taoiseach which is designed to develop knowledge and understanding of the European Union at primary level. The Communicating Europe initiative is designed to deepen public awareness of the role the European Union plays in our daily lives and an important plank of the work in my Department.
It is important that we engage citizens on the terms of the new treaty on stability, co-ordination and governance in the Economic and Monetary Union. This has important implications for our future economic well-being, will help to ensure greater security and stability for our shared currency and strengthen the obligation of those member states whose currency is the euro to live up to their responsibilities. The Government is prepared to play its full part in this regard.
Our network of diplomatic missions plays a key role in disseminating information to our partners at the highest level on Government policy on the European Union and keeps us updated on the evolving positions of other member states. This constant flow of information feeds into and guides our approach to issues in Brussels and within the institutions.
I am working closely with my colleagues on Europe Day activities in the Oireachtas this year and we aim to build on the success of last year's events. Details of this work will have to be agreed in close consultation with the Oireachtas and I hope to be in a position to come back to the House on the matter in the coming weeks.
I agree that last year's Europe Day events were a great success. I believe I heard in the Minister of State's response an invitation to Members on all sides of the House to participate in organising this year's events. However, one does not need to engage in polling or avail of the services of focus groups to realise Irish citizens and, one suspects, citizens throughout Europe increasingly feel alienated from the institutions of the European Union. Does the Minister of State accept, for example, that the unprecedented manner in which President Sarkozy and Chancellor Merkel frequently pose as the de facto leaders of the Union is proving problematic? Does she accept that we must actively engage at national level in educating citizens about the positive aspects of the Union? Does she also accept that in this country, in addition to undertaking such a positive initiative as Europe Day, there is a need to engage actively across the country, perhaps by setting up a structure similar to the Forum on Europe, to bring a positive message about the Union to the people? Does she further accept that what would be seen throughout the country as the marked reluctance of the Government to engage with the public on the fiscal treaty by way of a possible referendum on the issue is contributing to public unease and scepticism about the entire European project?
The Deputy has asked three questions which I will try to address. On the role played by Chancellor Merkel and President Sarkozy, it is fair to say there has been widespread criticism of the European Union's capacity to respond in an efficient and speedy manner to the crisis that has engulfed us in the past two years. It is also fair to say neither the Union nor the eurozone was equipped to react and respond as quickly as possible. We can condemn the European institutions or whomsoever we like, but when one considers that there are 27 democracies, each operating an entirely different system, it is very difficult to come together on the basis of consensus and move forward. The lack of leadership has been constantly lamented. In the vacuum the German Chancellor has stepped forward to show leadership, which is important.
There has been cynicism, as well as scepticism, in the past six months, but much of what has been said has been disproved. Last November we were told by a reputable international newspaper, quoted regularly on the other side of the House, that the eurozone had ten days to survive. That was not true. Therefore, the criticism of France and Germany can be overstated. The reality is we have required leadership from all member states. It is quite obvious that the larger ones have been most in focus and in the headlines most but that is not to deny that there is a role for smaller member states. The institutional design will have to change. We have seen significant changes in the architecture of the Union, particularly in the eurozone, in how we function and deal with such crises and in the obligations we have as members of the eurozone. That will evolve in the years ahead. I hope that if the Union and, in particular, the eurozone, faces a crisis of this scale in the future, we will have the capacity through member states and the institutions to respond in a much more coherent fashion.
I agree with the Deputy regarding the need to communicate and educate our citizens but I do not agree with the contention that the Forum on Europe should be reinstated. I was a member of the forum and I enjoyed it greatly. I enjoyed the intellectual arguments but millions of euro were spent each year to create what was essentially a talking shop where people preached to each other. The outreach from the forum never reached its full potential and a forum of this nature cannot achieve that.
We can take many other initiatives. I have spearheaded the blue star programme in my Department. It was launched last week on a pilot basis and I feel passionately about it. I anticipate that between 30 and 40 schools will participate in the pilot, with a total of 100 schools having signed up for it. Secondary schools have contacted my office asking whether we can do something similar for them. Clearly, our resources are limited but there is huge scope for such educational programmes.
The Deputy referred to the reluctance of the Government to engage in the fiscal treaty debate. That is entirely untrue. I have travelled to different parts of the country and I have addressed fora organised in partnership with the European Commission office in Dublin and European Movement Ireland, which have been hugely successful. All my ministerial colleagues are available and they have been engaged in various media debates. I have attended the Seanad twice for debates on this matter and the Joint Committee on European Affairs. There is no shortage of willingness to engage on the part of the Government.
If the Minister of State rejects the notion of reconstituting the Forum on Europe, would she consider the prospect of town hall meetings, for example, throughout the country where Oireachtas Members and the Minister of State would engage with the public? That would be useful and it would give members of the public an opportunity to ask the questions bothering them on a day-to-day basis and to be given answers.
I have participated in a number of meetings of that nature, which were organised in conjunction with the European Commission office and European Movement Ireland, and they were hugely beneficial. I am very much open to further meetings but our resources are limited. The entire budget for the communicating Europe initiative in the Department of the Taoiseach is €150,000. It is negligible in the context of the amount the previous Government spent on the same initiative, which, sadly, was not all that effective. We face a huge challenge and we have a minute budget to get the message across. I have, along with my ministerial colleagues, including the Tánaiste, put in endless hours to communicate what is happening. I have asked that a small group be established in the Department of the Taoiseach to explore ways in which we can communicate better with the public. I have made one simple proposal, although I am not certain if we can find the funding for it, which is to send a leaflet to every household in the country explaining the contents of the fiscal compact. That would be useful and I am committed to delivering on that, but I must find the funding in my Department to do that.
In 2008, surveys showed that only 8% of the public considered membership of the EU to be a bad thing. The previous Government, therefore, made good use of the money it spent on the communicating Europe initiative.
That is why the Lisbon treaty referendum failed.
