Foolish to play Britain and EU off against each other We need to help the British but fundamentally recommit ourselves to the European Union

• Published in: The Irish times
• Main Author: Day, Catherine
• Format: Newspaper Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dublin The Irish Times Ltd 14.01.2017

  Following the UK decision to leave the EU, 28 countries now have to work out what this means for them and where they go from here. We know instinctively that the EU will be different without the UK. The country's departure will change the bloc's future direction and this will not always be comfortable for Ireland. We identified with many UK positions and were happy to support a large member state championing the need for EU reform. Now there will inevitably be a shift to a more "continental" view of the EU. All countries, especially the smaller ones, will need to reflect on the implications of deeper economic integration. In the EU, small countries have an important voice and a seat at the decision-making table. If Ireland flirted with leaving the EU we would de facto return to a situation where the UK would determine a large part of our future. Is that what we want?With the UK departure Irish people will want to make their own assessment of what EU membership brings and of its value to them. We need an informed debate, so that people are involved and engaged and we need to make a new commitment to EU membership, reflecting a conscious choice that this is the best place for us in the turbulent 21st century.