Over 70 years ago, Robert Schuman delivered his declaration that would change the course of European history. One of his key declarations was, "Europe will not be made all at once, or according to a single plan. It will be built through concrete achievements which first create a de facto solidarity." His vision was both bold and quite simple at the same time, to make war between larger member states not just unthinkable but materially impossible, by pooling their coal and steel production. The European Coal and Steel Community laid the foundations of what has become the European Union today. Since Ireland joined in 1973, we have seen significant and material progress on our shores and across our country, whether it be development of our infrastructure, support and funding for our agricultural sector, access to the Single Market, or foreign direct investment through our gateway to Europe. I would strongly question whether we would have seen the foreign direct investment that we have had if we were not an important and integral member state of the Union. There is also the adoption of the euro. When the euro was adopted, I happened to be living in Switzerland. I remember getting in a car and travelling to Germany with one of my friends from Germany, Italy and France on a road trip to get a few euro notes just to say that we had them. That was a day when I had first-hand experience and a memory of solidarity with European counterparts that was beyond just being Irish. That has only grown today and we all have our own memories of how we are not just Irish but Europeans, and long may that continue. Other speakers have mentioned a study about European Movement Ireland. Overall it is relatively positive. Some 82% still believe that Ireland's membership of the EU is important. That remains strong and it demonstrates that despite the challenges of our time, the vast majority of Irish people recognise the benefits of European engagement. Looking deeper into the figures, we need to ensure that we listen, learn and act on some of the sentiments coming through. Less than half of the respondents believe that the EU is moving in the right direction, with concerns about migration, EU regulation, and sovereignty. These are legitimate concerns and demand our attention. They remind us that the European project is not a static entity but a dynamic one that must continuously adapt and respond to the needs and anxieties of citizens. As a member of Fine Gael and of the European People's Party, I am proud to be European, but when we listen to those sentiments and concerns, we need to have a realistic debate and conversation about our defence and security and how we can co-operate with other member states. We also need to ensure that Europe is not only economically robust but also secure and capable of protecting its citizens and interests, while also looking at the likes of the cost of living, which is a top concern for us here at home, and migration and housing. I will bring it closer to home in relation to the need to inform and educate the next generation of citizens. The Minister of State recently visited my constituency where we went to Sacred Heart and Coláiste Choilm in Tullamore to share the insight and inform students of the importance of Europe. We cannot take that for granted. We need to see more of that and investment in it. As we move from being a net beneficiary to a net contributor in the European Union, we need to structure ourselves better to identify funds and allocations to continue on that pathway to support agriculture, infrastructure and foreign direct investment. I attended a public meeting in Tullamore last night about we move Offaly forward. We would resource an EU funding officer in local authorities to identify ways and means to maximise the effectiveness of those finances. We have made a lot of great progress in towns with the likes of the public realm, both with Government investment and European investment, and that needs to be continued. We also see the likes of just transition funding and what it has done. Just last week, I was at Ballycowan Castle where a new accessibility biking scheme was introduced to make the most of the Grand Canal greenway. This could not be done without European funding, and just because we are moving from being a beneficiary to a net contributor does not mean that should be lost. We have to identify ways to keep those channels open and keep those revenue streams coming to areas that need it most.

Sentiment score: 0.28