It was a week for reflection, unusual in the middle of a busy Dail session, but since we were supposed to be out campaigning for Yes votes, the Houses didn't sit, even if the committees did and, given the overwhelming support for the Belfast Agreement and the incomprehension that is Amsterdam, that meant there was plenty of time to talk about other matters - which we did.
Drapier was impressed with the public attitude he found almost everywhere to the Belfast Agreement and he has no doubt that when the votes are counted today it will be the biggest Yes vote in our history. And he has no doubt Amsterdam will be carried comfortably on its coat tails. But watching Questions and Answers last Monday, Drapier was reinforced in his view that something as complex and incremental as Amsterdam is not a fit subject for decision by referendum.
In spite of what Patricia McKenna and others said, the issues at stake in the Amsterdam Treaty are not fundamental - we decided on the fundamentals years ago - and what we now need is a better mechanism for informed debate on where Europe is going and on how we can influence that direction. Some of the mechanisms to do this exist already. One of them is called representative government. The people elect the representatives and expect them to act on their behalf - to scrutinise the legislation, to criticise it and to come to conclusions about it. And people expect their representatives in the European Parliament to do something similar and to report back at regular intervals and to voice Irish concerns as they arise.
It would be easy for Drapier to take a sideswipe at our MEPs, to reinforce some of the popular images of them and to scoff too at the way the Dail handles its European business. It would be easy, but it would be wrong.
Let Drapier take our MEPs first. For the most part they do all the things expected of them. They spend their time making representations on behalf of Irish groups, businesses, communities and individuals to the Commission and to the Parliament. Drapier knows of no group of people whose doors are more open to anybody who has a point of view. Virtually all of them are involved in high-powered committees in the Parliament and most carry clout within their groups.
And they do keep in touch. Has anybody ever watched Mary Banotti as she flies around from one group to another telling them what's happening, listening to their points of view and putting across her message of what Europe means in everyday terms? How many have ever attended the open meetings hosted by Bernie Malone? Or watched Brian Crowley's whirlwind tours in Munster or marvelled at Pat Cox's mastery of detail?
As for Connacht Ulster it has three of the best MEPs in the European Parliament. Drapier has never seen politicians with a greater sense of the needs of their people and the knowledge of what Europe can do for them than Joe McCartin and Mark Killilea. And Drapier like most others in here is genuinely sorry that Mark will not be seeking reelection.
Drapier could go on. The point is that MEPs do work, they have put structures in place, but these structures rarely touch the ordinary voter. Yet they do make contact with the representative of the ordinary voter, the interest groups and for the most part our interests within Europe are well served - Drapier would hazard far better served than in many of the other countries, including Britain and Northern Ireland.
Drapier is not sure why he is going on with this topic because he knows full well that Europe is a turn-off for most of us and only ignites when somebody shouts "neutrality" and then everyone runs for cover. Drapier applauds John Bruton for the mature way he dealt with the topic on Monday night. The reality is that our neutrality will only be ended by a referendum, but the reality too is that we live in a very different world to that of 1939 when Eamon de Valera first exercised that option and in an even more different world to that of the 1960s when a communist bloc could be seen as a potential aggressor.
Today we are an integral part of a civilised international community, based on democratic principles, the rule of law and the peaceful resolution of conflict. We are part of that international structure and we are part of it by choice but sometimes choice will also bring with it responsibilities.
Drapier's main point, however, is that no matter how hard we try to make Europe relevant, it is an uphill battle. Bernard Durkan's European Affairs Committee in Leinster House does a very good job scrutinising European legislation and hearing from all of those groups with an interest in European issues, but it rarely gets a mention in the newspapers or on television. Nor is Drapier blaming the media - they reflect what interests the public. Back at the ranch, the opinion polls are sending Bertie Ahern and Fianna Fail through the roof. The North has been good for Fianna Fail as nothing else has in recent times. The question is, however: how real are the present ratings, how will they translate into votes and seats at a general election? As far as Bertie is concerned, the personal ratings are real. People like him, see him doing a good job. How much of a bonus this represents for Fianna Fail candidates is another question. Remember it counted for nothing in Dublin North and Limerick East and may not amount to much in Cork either. On the other hand the opposition parties are all in a slough which can't be good for their morale and the message for the PDs is ominous. And let Drapier say to the PD press officers before they brand him as part of a conspiracy, that he is merely stating what he sees in front of him.
The one certainty, as Drapier sees it, is that Bertie will not seek an excuse to go to the country in pursuit of an overall majority. He is already even more secure than Jack Lynch was in 1977. Going to the country would be tempting fate. Election campaigns are never as predictable as the strategists think. But why is Drapier telling Bertie this? No one knows it better than Bertie. He was not one of those urging Charlie Haughey to rush to the country in 1989.
Finally Drapier was delighted to see Theresa Ahearn back among us this week . She has been through a very rough time and we have all missed her. It was good to see her looking so fit and well and anxious to get back to the fray.