Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

The services directive has been around for some time. It has been indicated that it would not get sufficient support in its present form. That view has existed since the Irish Presidency of the EU last year. Everyone agrees that a services directive is required, but in all such directives it is the balance that is at issue, what one can live with. Commissioner McCreevy almost immediately after taking up his post said that he did not believe the services directive would get sufficient support in its present form. While the Government has supported the services directive in recent months we have stated that the balance must be correct. We supported the French position because it was a very important issue for President Chirac. That position was that the directive should be sent back for further consultation and review. Commissioner McCreevy will now have to go into a new round of consultations to develop a directive that corrects the imbalances that were identified. It became a big issue in France, with large marches taking place against it by organised labour, but similar questions have been raised in many countries, including Ireland.

I do not know when the issue will be brought forward again, but I imagine it will take the better part of a year for all the consultation to take place.

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