Seán Connick (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

The challenges facing Irish jobs, the environment and Ireland's competitiveness today are global. Against climate change, rising energy costs, transnational crime and global economic downturns, our capacity to defend our interests on our own is minimal. Ireland's sovereignty, power and strength lie in the capacity to act for its people, to defend its prosperity, safeguard its environment and protect the jobs and livelihoods that families have worked so hard to build. That capacity to act, though minimal on our own, is enhanced extraordinarily through the unique partnership that is the European Union. This ensures access to the Single Market, practical co-operation and greater clout on the world stage.

The reform treaty will increase Ireland's capacity to act even further in its own interests. It will cut bureaucracy, tackle inefficiency, speed up decision making and deliver a Union that is more responsive to its citizens and more answerable to the Oireachtas. The EU empowers us and this treaty will empower us further. We have done well from the EU and the Lisbon treaty will enable us to deliver even better outcomes for Irish people. In the words of Pope Benedict, it gives a boost to the process of building a European home.

In the 40 years before the European Steel and Coal Community was formed in 1952, Europe suffered two devastating world wars, which left tens of millions dead and destroyed large areas of the Continent. Wars involving many of the European powers had broken out every 50 years on average for several centuries before this. Europe was an area in turmoil with constantly changing national borders and international alliances created with the sole intention of waging war. The European Coal and Steel Community and its subsequent incarnations leading up to the European Union were created in part to normalise relationships between the countries of Europe and to try to end the devastating cycle of war that was ripping the Continent apart. The success of the European Union is demonstrated by the fact that Western Europe has not seen war fought on its lands in over 60 years and is unlikely to see it again in any of our lifetimes.

Since Ireland joined the European Economic Community in 1973, the Irish people have been among the most enthusiastic supporters of the European concept. On several occasions over the past 35 years, the Irish public has been asked to adopt treaties that would change the nature of Europe and Ireland's role therein. However, every one of these treaties has brought changes that have been good for Ireland. The Single European Act lead to the establishment of the Single Market and the investment of Structural Funds in Ireland at a time when our economy needed it most. The Single Market and Structural Funds were among the most important contributors to the start of the Celtic tiger. The Maastricht treaty gave us the euro. The treaties of Amsterdam and Nice helped to end permanently the divisions between east and west in Europe and the Lisbon treaty will equip both Ireland and Europe to meet the challenges of today's changing world.

The Lisbon treaty completes a process of internal reform that began in 1990. When it became clear that the European Union would grow rapidly from 12 countries to upwards of 30, it became obvious that the existing structures would not be sufficient to administer a union of that size. A lot of time and negotiation has been devoted to this matter and the Lisbon treaty was the best compromise that could be obtained. It will bring an end to debates on the structure and future of the European Union, and its unique reliance on inter-governmental agreements will ensure that the Union will never become a superstate. The principle of subsidiarity, enshrined in this treaty, which is based on the principle that decisions should, if possible, be taken at a local, regional or national level, guarantees national sovereignty.

Article 1.4 of the treaty is one of the most important and it will be quoted frequently as the debate continues over the coming months. The article contains the essence of what the Union is about. It states: "The Union's aim is to promote peace, its values and the well-being of its peoples". Article 1.4 is very important and I will be highlighting it as I travel around the country to promote the passage of the treaty.

In 1973 Ireland joined the EEC and I therefore have been a proud citizen of the Union for 36 years, which is most of my life. Every aspect of our experience as a member to date has been positive. All sectors have benefited greatly from membership, including the agriculture and business sectors, as has the peace process and infrastructure in terms of roads, bridges, and sewerage and water schemes.

We hear arguments that the treaty is complicated. Of course it is; we are bringing together 27 different countries. We must not forget that the European Union is a work in progress. I am proud to say Ireland is playing its part in the development of the process. We are part of a great tapestry of different countries, peoples and cultures, all working towards a common goal, namely, unity of purpose and movement towards peace, prosperity and progress.

I really cannot understand people who are opposed to this treaty. Let us counter some of the myths they are generating. There is no doubt that our neutrality is protected. This has been ensured by virtue of the triple lock. Our taxation law is protected. Unanimity will continue to apply to all taxation matters and approval of all member states will be required to make any changes in this regard. Ireland will not give up its tax advantage. We have fought for this and it has afforded us an advantage that we will not relinquish.

Increased co-operation in the European Union, particularly in areas related to criminal law and policing, is to be welcomed. Increased economic security and stability and the upholding and strengthening of the principle of subsidiarity are also to be welcomed. The world is now a global village. I travelled to Vienna some weeks ago and it was amazing to sit alongside the main street there listening to the different languages of citizens of different nationalities and to watch people wander through the streets peacefully. One can do the same in Spain, France, London or Dublin. Europe has become multicultural throughout.

Most of the groups and people speaking out against the treaty are from the extreme left or extreme right and they are very strange bedfellows. Most, if not all, of them have benefited from our membership of the Union, yet they are against the further development of this great project. It is inconceivable that people will vote against this treaty and Europe. It is essentially voting against a movement for peace, prosperity and progress. We must not let these people hinder or prevent the ongoing development of the Union. A "yes" vote is a vote for jobs, peace and progress.

Our opponents state that this treaty enshrines in law increased militarisation, ends our military neutrality and cedes a whole range of competencies to the European Union. One party that is opposing this treaty has made the same arguments about militarisation in respect of every referendum on our involvement in Europe. When we were voting to join the EEC in 1972, it stated:

Irish people will be compelled to fight wars the European powers decide to wage. Neutrality will go and compulsory military service will be introduced.

When opposing the Single European Act in 1987, the party said the treaty would surrender power completely to the NATO-dominated EEC. We were told by the same party that the Maastricht treaty will be a death knell for Irish neutrality while the Amsterdam treaty would ensure the nuclear-armed Western European Union would be integrated into the European Union structures. During our last referendum, on the Nice treaty, the party told us that Nice would "bring us closer into a European Army". Thirty-six years and six treaties later, our neutrality is still secure. In respect of the Lisbon treaty, we are still being peddled the same arguments on neutrality that have been proven to be wrong time and again.

One of the biggest changes in approach that the European Union will take as a result of the Lisbon treaty is having a more co-ordinated response to foreign policy. The treaty represents a very good outcome for Ireland on issues of major sensitivity, such as unanimity in the taxation area. One of the strangest claims being made by opponents of this treaty is that it will somehow be self-amending, that is, that once it is passed, nations will no longer have the power to decide whether to accept or reject any further changes to the structure or powers of the European Union. Article 48.4 of the Lisbon treaty states quite clearly that any decision "shall not enter into force until it is approved by the Member States in accordance with their respective constitutional requirements". I do not understand how any opponent of this treaty can credibly claim it will become self-amending when Article 48.4 is so clear.

No Irish interest would be served by creating a political crisis in Europe, by turning our backs on a treaty that was to a considerable extent made in Ireland and responds to our needs and aspirations. As we face current and future challenges on our domestic front, such as the need to safeguard the livelihoods and quality of life of our citizens, Ireland's membership of the Union is as vital as ever. Imagine if we had to face the current uncertainty in the global economy on our own, outside of the European monetary system.

The treaty contains concrete measures that will enhance democracy within the Union. It strengthens the role of national parliaments by giving them direct input into European legislation. The provision whereby a sufficient number of national parliaments can object to a particular proposal is a genuine step forward. It will enable national parliaments to ensure that the Union does not exceed its authority. As Vice Chairman of the newly established Oireachtas Committee on EU Scrutiny, I have seen at first hand the power that has been given to national parliaments to amend, influence and even object to European legislation. This treaty actually strengthens the role of national parliaments in this regard.

A central feature of European democracy is the protection of individual rights and freedoms. The reform treaty raises the protection of the rights of Europe's citizens to a new level. It will do so by making the Charter of Fundamental Rights legally binding on the Union's institutions and on the Member States when they are implementing EU law. It will also allow the Union to accede to the European Convention on Human Rights, which, together with the European Court of Human Rights, is the foundation stone of human rights protection in Europe.

So many of the issues on our national agenda today have major European and global dimensions. Issues such as climate change and spiralling energy costs transcend national borders. On its own, a small country such as Ireland cannot solve these problems. However, working together with our European partners, as part of the richest domestic market in the world, will help us to address them. It is therefore in our interest to support the European Union in this endeavour. It would not make sense for us to turn our backs on Europe by blocking sensible changes to the functioning of the Union. We have the opportunity to guarantee Ireland's position at the heart of Europe. Let us not throw that chance away.

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