Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

I would prefer to ask officials from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to prepare a brief explanatory paper for the Deputy so that he can understand the implications of the convention. I am loath to put in place a new tranche of EU regulation and legislation in this area, especially in light of the issue raised by Deputy Hogan earlier. The EU needs to concentrate on the Lisbon Agenda, which relates to economic growth, because its economy is quite sluggish at present. If the EU is to compete with other parts of the world, it needs to engage in an in-depth review of how it approaches the objectives of the Lisbon Agenda, which relates to competitiveness, employment and economic growth. The EU has not successfully matched its rhetoric and its action, which should be its priority.

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