Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I did not ask why we should bother. I am concerned in regard to the backdrop of the view of the population on the Lisbon treaty. This is an opt-in in relation to the Lisbon treaty. I am very cognisant that we cannot divorce a discussion of internal security across Europe from security decisions made by the European Union such as to raise the borders and spend massive amounts of money on surveillance and security. Those decisions are a mismanagement of funding and increase the likelihood of terrorism because of our interference in other regions of the world and so on. Such decisions deserve scrutiny. I am trying to find out if the Dáil will have the opportunity to give them such scrutiny. I acknowledge the point made by the Minister. I intend to raise the issue tomorrow with the Business Committee. It would be very helpful to the Business Committee for the Minister to be amenable to answering questions on the matter in the Dáil and I will make members of that committee aware that he will facilitate that discussion. Through such a discussion, I hope to explore the consequences of Ireland delaying its joining the process, a matter on which I have not gotten any further clarity.