Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The first time I became aware of this was after the meeting between the Taoiseach and the French President, Mr. Macron. It was mentioned in the reporting after the meeting that this issue had been raised but that the French President recognised domestic Irish political difficulties in the Dáil. When it was finally raised by the Minister of State, we started asking questions about whether it was really happening. The Minister of State constantly says it will operate within the Treaty on European Union.

Of course it will. Anything the EU does will be within the Treaty on European Union.

Further to what Deputy Lisa Chambers said, I have no problem with increasing our spending in the military area. Our soldiers are treated very poorly under our current system, with many claiming family income supplement. There are many issues relating to our need to improve our armed forces. We need to ensure they arrive at peacekeeping missions with the right equipment and best resources.

I am concerned that this is going much further than that and is more significant. The key document setting out the aims and ambitions is consistent and unambiguous in stating that it is "an ambitious, binding and inclusive EU legal framework for investments in security defence", that it will be "regularly increasing defence budgets in real terms in order to reach agreed objectives" and that it "should enable tangible progress on the level of investment expenditure on defence equipment". It refers to an increase in defence investment expenditure to 20% on, I presume, armaments and 2% on research and development. When it repeatedly refers to ambitious, binding commitments and to being progressive and ramping up, it is not hedging it's position. It is absolutely clear that countries are in and they will ramp up together through increased expenditure. That is what it states.

We do not need to hear about the Treaty on European Union again. I understand the point the Minister of State made. What is the legal form of that document, which was issued when the first 23 countries joined and which sets out the modus operandiof this institution? What do those binding commitments that we are making mean legally? I understand they are within the treaty provisions, but the word "binding" is used.

The annexe refers to the Council, in overviewing some of its expenditure, making decisions by unanimity. I ask the Minister of State to explain that. He has said that the Dáil will not overview project investment decisions. However, when it comes to policy decisions to oversee all those 20 binding commitments, what is the level of transparency for the Dáil? Do we have a veto? On joining, is it majority voting or is it unanimity, which would give us a final say on holding back on some of the things we might not like?