Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

This single greatest challenge facing Ireland next year is that in many ways, the future of 500 million people will depend on a decision by the Irish people. From my perspective, it is absolutely imperative that those Members who support this treaty will ensure that the people are given the best level of information that they understand in order that they can make that decision. I wish well in his endeavours the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dick Roche. Fine Gael will support strongly the EU reform treaty and will campaign publicly on it.

I note that Hungary has ratified the treaty. I met Prime Minister Tusk of Poland, who has brought a completely changed attitude towards the European Union since his election. He made it very clear at the European People's Party group meeting that in future Poland will be in the progressive mould for the development of Europe. I recognise that the signing of the treaty last week in Lisbon is a very important milestone and I regret that Prime Minister Brown was not on time. At the EPP meeting, somebody asked what had happened to British punctuality. Perhaps it suffers from globalisation but I am not sure. In any event, the lack of punctuality only reinforces the view that Britain only wants to be a sideline member of a Union that will be so important in the times ahead.

International relations regarding Kosovo will be absolutely critical. It is important to be wise about these matters and doing nothing is not wise. We must wait to see whether proceeding as proposed is wise but it appears from my reflections on dealing with interested parties that the Serbs will under no circumstances accept a diktat like the one proposed. Nobody wants to see Serbia annexed to Russia. The leadership of the European Union must make it perfectly clear that EU assistance for the Serbian people in the event of a declaration of independence for Kosovo will be mainstreamed rapidly. Otherwise other countries in the region will regard the development as a precedent for similar declarations. If the Helsinki Accord is breached and borders are changed without consent, it will cause quite a problem.

It is necessary to consider the circumstances in which we will find ourselves in the coming years. The European Council has reflected on certain issues in this regard and four of them are fundamental. Competitiveness in the global economy is one. China and India are likely to account for 50% of the world's GDP by 2060. This is an enormous proportion. The two countries accounted for the same proportion in 1820. When one considers the scale of the challenge that faces all other countries in the face of this phenomenal rise, Europe, with its 500 million people, must get its act together. This means moving to the forefront of technological development.

Demography and immigration are the next serious problems. The world has a birth rate of 21 per 1,000 of the population and the United States has a rate of 14 per 1,000. In Europe there are ten per 1,000. Increasing the European rate from ten per 1,000 to 11 per 1,000 will at least stabilise the European population. If we do not do so, we will face very serious levels of immigration. EPP leaders are stating no country on its own could withstand the pressure if the population of Africa doubled in the next 25 years and 10% of the young males decided to emigrate. There needs to be a well-thought out European response that is fair on individual nations and immigrants.

The issues of terrorism and security also arise. Terrorists are now being recruited through cyber-mobilisation. The Government is conscious of this and I hope it will deal with it.

Energy and the environment comprise another issue that must be borne in mind. I commend the Government on creating an Oireachtas Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security. It is important and we could lead by example in this regard. The Chairman of the committee, Deputy Barrett, stated every Department should be able to set out its programme of work for playing our part in reducing carbon dioxide emissions. This is fundamental to demonstrating that one can lead from the front and that, as a small country, we have a genuine opportunity to make a real impact.

The reform treaty has now been signed and it behoves us to have it ratified by the public. For our part, we will contribute in any way we can to ensuring the people are given as much information as possible to allow them to make their decision, which I hope will be positive.

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