http://www.euronews.com/ It’s the turn of the Irish to run the EU for six months. What are they going to do and has recession changed their legendary euro-enthusiasm?

Ireland’s Deputy Prime Minister, Eamon Gilmore, has been answering your questions from Dublin.

Soukaina, Belgium:

“I would like to know: after receiving help from Europe, what do the Irish people think about the European Union?”

Alex Taylor:

“So are people still as euro-enthusiastic in Ireland or not these days?”

Eamon Gilmore:

“Well, it’s forty years since Ireland first joined what was then the European Economic Community, and it has been a very positive experience for Ireland. The European Union has contributed enormously to the economic growth of the country, contributed to the modernisation of our laws, contributed to the bringing in of a lot of social laws, like, for example, equal pay and equality legislation. A lot of our environmental legislation had its origins in Europe. So it’s been a very positive experience.”

Alex Taylor:

“Ok, let’s go to a second question for the deputy prime minister.”

Maria, Spain:

“I would like to know which plans Ireland has to solve the flag crisis in Northern Ireland and how you expect to manage the rise of nationalism in Europe.”

Alex Taylor:

“So Maria would like to know what you think about nationalism. You must be a bit concerned by recent events in Belfast?”

Eamon Gilmore:

“Yes, indeed, we are, and I think what it shows is the need for constant vigilance to work on our peace process. We had a conflict in Northern Ireland which lasted for about thirty years. It was a very violent conflict, 3,500 people lost their lives. That’s a big number of people to have been killed, and many, many more were injured. Over time, we worked on a peace process – the Irish government and the British government together with the political parties in Northern Ireland – which brought about a settlement and the establishment of a shared administration in Northern Ireland. We have, however, seen some disturbances in recent weeks which are worrying. I hope that they will not last. But I think it shows the challenges that we have to build a shared future for people in Northern Ireland. I think it also shows the degree to which national identity and other identities are very strong throughout Europe. While the European Union has been successful in building a union of 500 million people, within that union are many peoples and many groups of people who have a very strong national or regional identity. And I think it is important that we, first of all, respect those identities, but that there is mutual respect all round and that we work together as a people in Europe to build a better future together for all our citizens.”

Alex Taylor:

“Let’s have another question now for Dublin.”

Chantal, Belgium:

“What does the Irish presidency plan to do to counterbalance Germany’s power in the European Union?”

Alex Taylor:

“Do you intend to do anything to curtail German power or is that killing the goose which lays all the eggs?”

Eamon Gilmore:

“Well, I think it’s important that we all recognise that the European Union is made up not of any one state or indeed a small number of large states. The European Union is made up 27 member states, and when Croatia becomes a member, it will be 28 member states. I think it is important that we do our work in Europe using the community method, that there is a strong sense of all of the member states working together, of there being mutual respect between smaller states and large states.”

Alex Taylor:

“Economic power does give Germany a preponderance, doesn’t it? It does make the whole situation a little unbalanced…”

Eamon Gilmore:

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