Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

To return to the Nice treaty, the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Éamon Ó Cuív, admitted he voted against the first Nice treaty. I understand the Green Party Ministers must put the terms of the proposed referendum to the party's membership and it will probably require another convention in the Mansion House to decide whether they, as members of the Government, give support to the revised treaty. Has the Taoiseach discussed the matter with his Cabinet? May we assume the revised treaty will be fully supported by all members of the Cabinet and the Government will make a real effort to ensure resources are made available and proper provision is made for debating the issues arising from the revised treaty, which are very important for the future of the country and Europe? Will the Government give priority to this issue and provide resources to the National Forum on Europe and so on to ensure proper political interaction takes place on the issues involved? I do not know whether the Taoiseach has spoken to the Green Party members of Government.

The Charter of Fundamental Rights, which is of central importance to the treaty, has been removed from the text but its legal status is unaltered. Will the Taoiseach explain whether the British decision to seek an opt-out in respect of the charter of fundamental rights is the reason we have adopted a somewhat cautious position on this matter? Why are we afraid to say we support the Charter of Fundamental Rights and want it included in the text because it is an important selling point for the treaty? The Taoiseach has made the point that he would have preferred the wording in the original text. Will he explain why this is so, given that for national and other reasons this was turned down in the Netherlands and in France? Also, as the Taoiseach will be aware, the difficulties arising from the Polish delegation and a number of other new-member eastern countries are quite contentious. Obviously, compromise will have to be achieved by the leaders before this will pass.

Is it the Taoiseach's view that the new British Prime Minister, and perhaps the French President, will seek to have the revised treaty passed by parliamentary majority as opposed to having to hold a referendum which might, for any reason, be contentious again the next time?

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