Everything Ireland achieved during the Celtic Tiger years flowed directly from its engagement with Europe, the MacGill Summer School heard today.
The country’s economic progress, increased international profile and liberation from Britain’s shadow are due to its place in Europe, according to the EU director general for trade David O’Sullivan.
“Because we were part of the decision making process in Brussels, people suddenly cared about what Ireland thought about European or global issues. We remained a small country but one with influence beyond our size,” he told the summer school in Glenties, Co Donegal.
The Irish official warned that there were many important considerations for voters to make ahead of the country’s second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty in October.
“The choice will be yours - think carefully before you make it. Half-hearted members of any club rarely set the rules or the tone,” he said. “The big picture is that we can either play in the premiership and have real influence, or we can become permanent 'hurlers on the ditch', free to hold any views we wish...but ultimately irrelevant.”
Mr O'Sullivan said the treaty was not about policy changes but more about making the EU more effective and accountable. He cautioned: “If Lisbon fails, we will no longer be assured of having an Irish member of the [European] Commission.”
Mr O’Sullivan also said the EU would help Ireland out of the current economic pain and was doing so already by providing Irish-based financial institutions with €130 billion in loans from the European Central Bank, which was equivalent to 77 per cent of Irish GDP.
The session - entitled Does Ireland Need Europe?- was also addressed by Sinn Féin campaigns director Pádraig McLochlainn and Fine Gael spokeswoman on foreign affairs Lucinda Creighton TD.
