Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail)

We welcome the Government's decision, following the advice of the Attorney General, to hold a referendum. My party will strongly support a "Yes" vote in the referendum and I do not want there to be any doubt about that. I have said it in this Chamber time and time again. This is a serious matter for the country. There are differences of opinion and there are provisions we would rather were in the treaty but which are not, such as addressing the ECB's role within the European Union. The progressive pro-European parties in the Oireachtas have an opportunity in the coming weeks to work closely together on this in the interests of the country.

I am worried that "No" posters were erected last night without a discussion having even started or the text of the referendum being published. This is not the way politics should work. The Taoiseach held a meeting with our party leader on this yesterday. My party had a meeting about this more than four weeks ago and we made a decision to support a "Yes" vote in a referendum, if it was called. We will examine the text and we will bring different elements to the debate. In the next few weeks, the Seanad can play an important role in providing information. We are ahead of the curve with regard to planning our own debate on the treaty. There will be dissenting voices but they have to be honest in the debate and stick to what the referendum is about and not the other issues about which all of us are concerned and have policy differences. That is what politics is about. There are issues on which my party will not agree with the Government and there are issues with which Sinn Féin will not agree, and that happened the last time.

We must consider the common good. The treaty does not go far enough but it is a step forward and, over the next few weeks, we have an opportunity to discuss further with our European partners how we can progress the role of the ECB and improve the democratic deficit that exists. Will the Leader keep an eye on the publication of the text of the constitutional amendment? The Government will get full support from this side of the House when it is introduced-----