Martin: We need stronger presence in EU

IRELAND needs to beef up its presence in Brussels after allowing its influence at EU level wane during the Celtic Tiger era, Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin has said.

Mr Martin said the economic boom had seen an element of “we can stand alone” develop in Ireland’s attitude towards Europe.

In what may be seen as a tacit admission that the coalition took its eye off the ball during that period, he added: “There will have to be changes at Government level in terms of how we deal with Europe.”

Mr Martin made the comments during a Christmas interview with the Irish Examiner concerning the Lisbon Treaty, which was passed in a second referendum this year after being initially rejected by the public in 2008.

He said the treaty would allow Europe act “in a more coherent fashion” in international forums such as the recent climate change summit in Copenhagen.

The treaty would also mean “far more active” participation by the Dáil and Seanad in European issues, as it affords national parliaments increased powers of scrutiny over EU proposals.

For that reason, there would have to be changes in how the Dáil and Seanad dealt with EU issues, he said.

But there would also need to be changes at Government level, and the Department of Foreign Affairs would bring forward proposals in the new year on this, he added.

“One lesson from the Lisbon affair is basically that Government needs to be more proactively engaged with Europe at all levels,” he said.

This would mean “a more co-ordinated and coherent response to EU issues”, with the Government considering and agreeing its stance on EU proposals at a much earlier stage in their development. Greater lobbying of administrations in fellow member states could then take place to shape policies in Ireland’s favour before they are finalised in Brussels.

While that was already happening to a certain extent, Ireland could do it better, the minister said.

“Historically in the old Europe before enlargement, many issues were decided in the week prior to the [European] Council meetings, or even on the night... Now that tends to happen less and less, so a lot of work needs to be done early in terms of the influencing of directives and tuning into our needs.”

A more muscular presence in Brussels would greatly help this, Mr Martin added.

In the 1980s, a “lot of [Irish] personnel” had been engaged in Europe because successive governments were keen to secure the country’s slice of EU structural funds.

That presence had waned during the Celtic tiger era, with a subsequent loss of influence, he pointed out.

“During the Celtic tiger era, there was a certain element of ‘we can stand alone’,” Mr Martin said.

“We need to ensure we place ourselves optimally in terms of having public servants in Brussels and in EU institutions… maintaining our influence over policy.”