I know how committed the Minister of State is to the ideals of the European Union and to the peace and prosperity project it continues to be. Our statements today are very important, particularly as we prepare for Ireland's hosting of the EU Presidency during the latter part of 2026. It should be noted that under our Presidency in 1990, German reunification occurred. We saw in 2004 the largest accession to the EU, including of countries in central and eastern Europe. I hope in 2026 that we continue to support Ukraine's path towards accession to be part of the European family. It is important we look at the future of Europe and we ensure it remains competitive. The implementation of a capital markets union should be among our priorities during our EU Presidency. It is essential that Europe is more competitive but also that we ensure for consumers, whether it is financial products, insurance or so on, that there is an open European market in that regard. It is also critical that we encourage global trade, and that in an era when global trade is under threat, we ensure that we support free and fair trade, which has been critical to bringing so many people out of poverty and creating employment all around the world. It is really bizarre that there are Members in this House who are quite happy to have the hands of our foreign and defence policy bound by China, Russia and the United States, yet they are opposed to a free trade agreement with Canada. I urge the Minister of State that we move as quickly as possible towards ratification of CETA.

Sentiment score: 0.40

It is critical that we ensure in the funding under the next EU budget that the multiannual financial framework is sufficient to support a number of areas that are critical to this country. We need to have a fully funded Common Agricultural Policy. With regard to Europe's competitiveness, the Union's research budget should be sufficiently well funded. On the opportunities that are available to people and the DiscoverEU programme, which is currently only available to 35,000 18-year-olds, we should set a goal of ensuring that every 18-year-old has access to the programme and there is much more opportunity to experience other cultures in Europe.

Sentiment score: 0.33