Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)

I am very pleased at the opportunity to speak on the Bill to facilitate the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the European Union. The question for those two countries is when will accession take place. Despite the fact that comprehensive monitoring reports will be placed before the European Parliament in Strasbourg next week, it seems unlikely that they will receive an answer in the near future. If reports are to be believed, it may be next autumn before a final decision is made. I hope that is not the case since such uncertainty is in no one's interest. However, it seems that President Barroso has decided to postpone the decision.

From the perspective of Romania and Bulgaria, delaying entry will not solve any residual problems and might strengthen anti-European sentiment in those countries, which I believe is growing. There are issues regarding Romania and Bulgaria. There are concerns about corruption and organised crime in Bulgaria that must be dealt with more firmly. A great deal of progress has been made and one hopes that it will prove sufficient. We will have a much better idea next week.

In a broader context, we must consider the impact of the accession of Romania and Bulgaria, asking how it will affect the EU, which is still coming to terms with the accession of ten new member states. Concerns were raised in today's debate about the many worries of Irish people regarding EU enlargement. From my perspective, having listened to people, they feel that the pace of enlargement is an issue and that there has not been enough time for consolidation. There is a sense that we are moving too fast.

I support the entry of Romania and Bulgaria next January if the monitoring reports are favourable. However, thereafter we may have to press the "pause" button, not the "stop" button. Otherwise, I would be concerned that we might lose control over the European project. I know that many other countries are knocking at the door, and they have every right to do so. They see EU membership as an ideal. Many of them look to Ireland as a model.

However, the European project needs the support of its citizens, and people, not only in Ireland but, judging from what my colleagues have said in Parliament, across Europe, are currently a little unsure. The "No" votes in France and the Netherlands reflected that. I agree with a previous speaker that if we had staged a referendum in Ireland — something that we may still do — the result would have been very close, regardless of the fact that most major political parties would have supported it. In that context, we politicians must listen as well as lead.

Today I took the opportunity to read some of the questions and contributions from the public and it might be worthwhile mentioning some of those comments, since today is about informing people regarding Europe. Comments from the public on the issue of enlargement included how far we can go with the European ideal, what the Irish position is on Turkey's application for membership of the EU, how far the enlargement project can go and whether there are borders to it. Particular consideration should be given to Turkey's desire for inclusion in the EU. However, it must be stated that Turkey is not a European country. How many more Asian or even African countries will seek to join a so-called European Union? The last question is why the citizens of Ireland cannot vote on new countries joining the EU.

Those questions and others deserve to be heard. After all, today should not simply be about talking to or at Irish or European citizens, it should be about listening to them and engaging with those concerns. Regardless of how we view them, we must respond. In that context, a major concern for many Irish people will be what decision the Government takes in the context of workers from Romania and Bulgaria coming here. According to the Taoiseach, that decision is being postponed until all other EU states open their labour markets to immigrants from the new member states. I believe that he was reported as saying that yesterday in the press.

I agree with the Taoiseach on that question, since we need a properly managed economic migration policy. Ireland's economy has benefited greatly from immigrant labour, which has helped fuel our continued growth. We are a small country and must manage migration policy very carefully. The Minister told us this morning that in 1999, 5,000 work permits were issued. In 2003, that figure had jumped to 50,000 and by the end of 2004, it was 160,000. As I said, Ireland is a small country facing the issue of absorption and capacity. That has not yet become a problem, but it must be managed.

Today there are several students from Mercy College in the Visitors Gallery, and they and their parents will be concerned about their future and jobs. People require certainty or at least an element of predictability regarding their future. I agree with Deputy Costello that we need not be afraid, but we must manage the process, examining labour market trends and introducing some system that allows reasonable access for workers from Romania and Bulgaria while allowing the Irish economy to grow. It is a win-win situation for everyone.

I believe that Deputy Finian McGrath is supposed to be in this slot so I will finish now.

See this speech in context