Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

The EU reform treaty is an important step forward. I recognise it is a valuable treaty, something that has been spelled out by many Members in the debate. I am deeply concerned by the Government's proposal to opt out of the policing and criminal law areas of this treaty because it sends a stark message to our European partners that the Ireland that has played such a strong role in Europe is now signalling it is sceptical of European affairs. That is very worrying to myself and many members of my party who have always been such strong supporters of the European Union.

The Fine Gael Party has always championed the idea of a strong Europe, a single market and an enlarged economic and social bloc. In the recent general election we stated in our manifesto our commitment to promote openness and transparency in the workings of the European Union and in the manner in which European legislation impacts on the citizens of this island.

That statement of intent is in stark contrast to the lacklustre and less than enthusiastic approach of the Government parties. The Green Party opposed all previous referenda on European treaties. That is something I could never understand when Europe has been so good for this country in terms of environmental protection, raising our awareness of the state of our environment, introducing European law as well as equality and social inclusion measures. We are hearing a different story now from the partners in Government. Could it be that this opt-out is an effort to ensure the Green Party can opt in and claim to their supporters that they have influenced changes and succeeded in introducing a wedge in Ireland's commitment to Europe? It is similar to the commitment to reduce the number of incinerators from eight to two — another watered down version.

The Fianna Fáil Party has always shied away from Europe. It has not embraced with enthusiasm the European ideal. At the time of the first Nice treaty, there was little or no effort on the part of the Government parties. There was no sign of them campaigning on the ground or promoting the treaty. The people sensed that "take it or leave it" approach by the Government and, predictably, voted against the treaty. On the next occasion, because the Government parties engaged in terms of campaigning, involving meetings in town halls and public squares the length and breadth of the country, the people engaged with that type of debate and informed themselves. As expected, the people of this island accepted the Nice treaty.

Largely speaking, the citizens of this island recognise the importance of Europe and that it is good for us. They want to play their part in a strong Europe. They want Ireland to continue to have a strong voice and to play a strong role in Europe. There are many areas we can point to in that regard, particularly the treaty negotiated here in 2004, and others in which we have played a strong role and punched above our weight, so to speak. This proposed opt-out, however, is sending out the wrong signal that Ireland is less than enthusiastic, that we are pulling back and tagging along with the United Kingdom Government which is less than enthusiastic about Europe and can be classed as being sceptical about European affairs.

The opt-out of the policing and law reform areas of the treaty, which are important if we are to tackle international crime, is a concern because crime has no boundaries. It is important to participate in this treaty in a full and enthusiastic manner and not opt out of certain areas. That aspect was not explained fully by the Minister. He did not give examples of how the Government has come to this decision to opt out in certain areas. That would be beneficial for all Members.

As I said, crime knows no boundaries. We had a debate in the House recently about drug crime and the way drugs are infiltrating every corner of every community in this State. Drugs are flooding into the European Union through Africa. The price of cocaine has dropped considerably. International crime crosses borders, with international trafficking and fraud being perpetrated over the Internet. There are numerous examples of that and at a time when the world is becoming smaller, co-operation on an international and European level is vital.

I am surprised this debate was not taken previously in the Chamber. The European affairs committee has been abandoned for the past six months and is yet to meet. That shows disdain for this House. This issue should have been brought before this House, the European affairs committee or the foreign affairs committee to allow Members contribute to the debate and understand how we have come to the stage whereby on Thursday, this treaty will be signed in the European Council, yet Members have had no input other than an opportunity to make statements two days before D-day.

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