Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

Does the Taoiseach envisage the European treaty being put to the people in 2007? A recent address by him, if I read it correctly, warned against the unravelling of the constitution and the cherry-picking of elements thereof. What is his current assessment of the prospects of success regarding the existing document? What is his assessment of the attitude of other member states, particularly France and the Netherlands? Notwithstanding this, does he believe we are likely to have a referendum on the matter next year? Is it possible to maintain the Irish position of opposing changes to the document and, at the same time, rationally expecting the peoples of France and Holland to approve the same document they already rejected? Is it not inevitable that, after the French referendum, there will have to be some changes if the document is to be successful?

Consider the meeting with President Putin regarding the energy crisis and the fact so much of our gas supply is from Russia. After that meeting, the Taoiseach referred explicitly to the informal meeting with President Putin. What is his view of the outcome of that meeting regarding a guarantee of supply to EU member states, particularly this one?

I presume the issue of enlargement and a migration document will be discussed at the December summit in Brussels. How does the Taoiseach see enlargement in the case of Turkey? Has the climate changed, having regard to recent developments in respect of the terms with which it was to comply?

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