When we talk about these statements post the European Council meeting, it is so important that we have a conversation about the positive role that Europe and being part of Europe can play in all our lives. We are yet to see many of the benefits that were envisaged in a European Union and from a trade perspective. We do not have an opportunity to deal with banks across Europe. We do not have an opportunity to deal with energy companies across Europe. We do not have an opportunity to deal with a whole range of trade opportunities that would ultimately benefit consumers and reduce costs right across Europe. We often talk here about the cost-of-living crisis and the impact it is having on people's ability to carry on with a normal life, but the European Union is the tool that can ultimately help reduce costs throughout the EU. There needs to be a more concentrated effort there. We are a small nation, but we have an opportunity to engage with the European Union and see benefits from that as well. Energy security is absolutely critical. I welcome the announcements from the Commission about the AccelerateEU package. It is welcome that it is going to allow European states to take all the necessary actions to be able to protect ourselves against what is the largest oil shock in the history of the State. We have to be really careful there because we do not know how bad this can get. We do not know how expensive fuels and energy can become, so we really have to take every measure possible to, first, secure our own energy independence and then simultaneously ensure that we are able to negate any negative impact it could have on the economy. That is going to be a very difficult balance to find. Ireland's position in Europe is a very strong one when it comes to agriculture. We have a very strong history of food production and producing food in a sustainable manner. It is very important that when the CAP negotiations begin, Ireland defends food production and the ability of our own people to produce our own food. It is going to be so important that the CAP reflects the contribution European food producers make within the European Union. I also want to talk about an area where I feel the European Union is failing at the moment, namely, competitiveness and the cost of doing business. I am the spokesperson for enterprise and I also sit on the enterprise committee. We have been doing a body of work over the last six months to a year. We have been speaking to many different representatives about the cost of doing business and just how expensive it is. This is something that is replicated across Europe. If we are to be competitive as a Continent and a Union, we need to make sure that we do not trip ourselves up. It really comes down to managing costs and ensuring that there can be success within the European Union, and that we do not become unattractive to people seeking to create jobs in our country. I am conscious of the time.

Sentiment score: 0.29