Professor John Maguire:

With great respect, Chair, does not the ultimate responsibility under our Constitution rest with the Irish people? They have been told in a number of referendums that nothing significant was happening and we had to sign up anyway because we needed all kinds of integration. We were made solemn promises, which are now being dismantled, on the retention of the triple lock. I have made notes of a number of the points the Leas Cathaoirleach has raised. I certainly respect them but I do not necessarily agree with them. This is our second go. The Chair also was the chair of a discussion on the Lisbon treaty in a theatre in UCC in 2008, so here we go again. I will take one or two of the points and I will stop then. The Leas-Chathaoirleach asked how Russian aggression can be dealt with. This is where the forum was so inadequate. Ms Kate Fearon of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, OSCE, was there. She made the point that this is still an organisation where Russia is present and is regularly confronted. We have allowed the OSCE to be sidelined. There is an awful lot more that I could come back on. I might write a letter to the Leas-Chathaoirleach on the matter. I know the Senator wants to come in on other things.