Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)

I am delighted to get the opportunity to speak on the EU reform treaty, or the Lisbon treaty as it is commonly known. We can all accept that since Ireland joined the EU in 1973, our involvement has helped shape our economy and our society in an extremely positive manner. EU membership has been a key factor in the growth in employment and prosperity which has come our way in recent years. For Ireland, it has provided the foundations for unrivalled economic development and has been a positive factor in the development of Irish life. The reform treaty will allow the EU to continue to positively influence Ireland. The EU has helped Ireland to develop our strong and distinctive voice on international affairs and to have an influence way beyond the size of the island itself.

Our membership of the EU is one of the factors that has enabled this State to consistently punch above its weight. Our young people no longer need to emigrate. As we all know, we see significant immigration, particularly from our fellow EU member states. Membership of the EU has served us very well and will continue to serve us well.

To put it simply, the reform treaty, as the name suggests, will reform the way in which the EU does its business. After half a century of EU integration, there will clearly be a need for the arrangements governing the Union to be brought up to date so we can ensure that they meet the needs of today's Europe. The reform treaty makes a series of positive changes which will make the Union function far more effectively and efficiently. For example, the amended treaty on the European Union will eliminate the old distinction between the European Union and the European Community. It will provide for a single legal entity, the European Union, which, in formal legal terms, will replace and succeed the European Community once the reform treaty has been ratified. The European Union, which is given explicit legal personality, will fulfil the tasks of the current European Community as well as those provided for in the current treaty on European Union. The Union's current laws and all other aspects of its legal order will continue to remain in force.

The reform treaty will continue to pay attention to the wider purposes of the Union. It will highlight the values and objectives of the Union, for example, democracy and respect for human rights. It strikes a balance between the social and the economic goals of the Union. It aims towards full employment, social progress and combating social exclusion and discrimination. It also stresses the need to ensure balanced growth and competitiveness.

The EU has been to the fore in the advancement of gender equality over the years. Many concrete improvements in the lives of Irish women, such as the right to equal pay, were brought about by our membership of the Union. This is something we have been reminded of in recent days with the sad passing of the former President, Dr. Patrick Hillery, ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dhílis, who as European Commissioner for Social Affairs, played a key role in the directive on equal pay. The new reform treaty will copperfasten the importance the Union gives to equality and, in particular, to gender equality. It will do so most visibly by specifically referring to gender equality as a value common to EU member states. It also clearly states that the promotion of equality between men and women is an objective that the Union will strive for.

A new horizontal "social article" will require the Union in its work to promote a high level of employment, adequate social protection and a high level of education, training and protection of human health. The reform treaty will also give special recognition to "services of general economic interest", which will include services with a public good.

Another important innovation in the reform treaty concerns EU accession to the European Convention on Human Rights. In the words of the Convention working group, this is intended to "give a strong political signal of the coherence between the Union and the "greater Europe" reflected in the Council of Europe and its pan-European human rights system".

During the treaty negotiations, some member states sought to include a stronger reference to Europe's Christian heritage, an understandable desire when one considers that the European region was known as Christendom for hundreds of years before it was known as Europe. Ireland could have supported such a reference, but it was not possible to agree the wording. However, a new treaty article recognises the specific contribution of the churches and, for the first time, provides for an open, transparent and regular dialogue with them. This has been widely welcomed by the churches and faith organisations.

It is in our interests to have a regional and international environment which allows us to consolidate and build upon the great economic gains we have made in recent years. The treaty will enable Ireland and the Union to continue to prosper. It is important to remember that the creation and maintenance of the EU Single Market allows Ireland, a country of 4 million people, access to a market of 500 million people. The treaty will enable Ireland to continue to create a business-friendly environment, one which has seen the level of employment in this country grow from 1 million when we joined the Union in 1973 to 2 million today. The treaty will not challenge either Ireland's foreign direct investment policy or broader national enterprise policy. This point cannot be understated. All member states will remain free to determine their own policies in these areas subject to state aid and competition rules and other areas of EU competence. The reform treaty does not change this position.

In the reform treaty, qualified majority voting is the standard decision making mechanism in the common commercial policy. However, there are some important qualifications. The Council is to act unanimously in the areas of trade in services, intellectual property and foreign direct investment where the negotiations cover issues for which unanimity is required internally. An important example of this is the area of taxation. Under the reform treaty, Ireland continues to have the right to determine how our fiscal policy is developed and applied. For us, this is a key aspect of enterprise policy for both the indigenous and foreign direct investment sectors. The treaty will, therefore, allow Ireland to continue to attract vital foreign investors.

In 1972, just before we joined the Union, foreign direct investment was just €16 million. Today it is measured in billions. The most recent IDA annual report indicated that, in 2006 alone, there was new capital investment of €2.6 billion; €470 million was invested in new research, development and innovation projects. Multinational companies employed more than 135,000 people, with an annual payroll of €15 billion, and paid an estimated €2.8 billion in corporation tax. It should also be borne in mind that hundreds of thousands of other Irish people are employed indirectly as a result, often in the small and medium-sized sector.

Ireland has a vital interest in a well functioning EU. We have benefited greatly from Europe and we want to retain our role as an active and committed EU member. This Government will make every effort to secure a positive outcome in the forthcoming referendum. It is in the best interests of the people of Ireland that Ireland be an integral part of the reform treaty.

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