Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after "Dáil Eireann" and substitute the following:

"notes:

—the importance of services as a component of GDP and employment in the European Union;

—that Ireland is now the 14th largest per capita exporter of services in the world, that our total share of world services has increased markedly from 0.38% in 1993 to 2.2% in 2004; and that both our employment and export growth in high value added internationally traded services activities has offset reductions in manufacturing;

—that it is very much in Ireland's interest that there should be an open single market in services in Europe in terms of employment prospects, trade opportunities, consumer choice and welfare enhancement;

—the analysis of various European economic institutes and the Forfás impact assessment of the benefits of opening the European services market, to the effect that there would be a welfare enhancement in Europe of the order of €40 billion and over 500,000 jobs and in the case of Ireland of some €400 million;

—the technical progress that has been made on aspects of the draft directive to date aimed at ensuring standards generally, and especially employment conditions, are protected while at the same time seeking to ensure that the benefits of opening the services market in Europe will be attainable;

—that the European Commission is expected, over the coming months, to introduce amendments to the draft directive and that these will be considered with an open mind, and in full consultation with stakeholders, with the objective of securing the optimum outcome for Ireland's and Europe's economic and welfare interests including the protection of employment standards."

I welcome the opportunity to discuss the services directive. Do I need to go through the entire amendment?

See this speech in context