Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)

Can we anticipate domestic legislation dealing with workers' rights and the social charter before its introduction into the general terms of what might be on offer to Ireland? Will workers' rights and the social charter be in domestic legislation before any referendum and will it be part of any referendum afterwards? If Ireland provides guarantees in domestic legislation it will then be in a position to look for Europe-wide guarantees to workers.

I do not recall the reference to guarantees that we sought in respect of education being central to the sub-committee's report. I did not think that the sub-committee required any guarantee on conservative education or certain forms of control in the Irish case. That came in, as it were, from the side. The same applies to the suggestion about forms of household and the conservative clauses in respect of the family. Where did they come from before becoming part of a great European guarantee? I do not recall these issues being raised significantly on doorsteps when I canvassed but I do recall workers' rights being raised.

See this speech in context