Colm Burke (Fine Gael)

It is important that we have a constructive debate on this matter. During the referendum on the Lisbon treaty a leaflet was distributed to every household on the north side of Cork city claiming that a "Yes" vote would lead to legalised abortion and prostitution, the imposition of conscription and a European insistence on no more than one child per family. The media have an important role to play in the upcoming referendum. They must take on such claims and ensure the correct information is made available.

It is constructive to consider the positives. While we had 1.2 million people working in this country in 1990, that number had increased to 2.1 million by 2008. For the first time we made a serious impact in facilitating people to provide jobs. We must return to that position. The European Union has an important role to play in ensuring we can continue to create jobs.

Senator Norris described the current debt position as "diabolical". However, it is not just about the payment of bank debts; it is also about getting our finances under control. A single figure illustrates the enormity of the problem. Last year we paid out €13.4 billion for the provision of health care services, including elderly care services, medical cards, hospital care services and so on, and brought in €13.317 billion in income tax. In other words, every cent we received in income tax went on the provision of health care. We have been able to maintain public services only because we have been able to access finance. It is about being part of the European market and ensuring we can increase exports and thus create jobs. The media have a vital role to play in the debate and must play that role constructively. On previous occasions information, which was untrue, was put into the public domain.