Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

It is a pleasure to make the concluding contribution to the Second Stage debate of this important Bill. When the Minister for Foreign Affairs introduced the Bill on 2 April, he correctly reminded the House that the reform treaty is important for Ireland and for Europe. The Government considers the treaty to be a logical step for the EU in an increasingly globalised world. Ratification of the treaty will provide for a more effective Union that will be more democratic and accountable, that will be better prepared to address the global challenges we all face and that will allow Ireland to consolidate the gains made since it became a member 35 years ago.

The referendum on 12 June should not be treated lightly. The decision then reached will not simply pertain to the wording of a European treaty but also will concern our country's future. The result to which we will wake up on the next day will tell us much about ourselves. It also will tell us much about what we want to say to others about ourselves. We will be sending a message to our partners in Europe and to the international political and investment communities.

The choice we will make will be between confidently embracing the future or stalling at a vital time for Ireland and the Union. No Irish interest would be served by a failure to ratify this treaty, which represents the outcome of compromise and consensus among 27 member states. It fully respects Ireland's key interests, including our political and economic interests and our interests in the areas of sovereignty and social policy.

Some would say that we have benefited more than any other country from EU membership, which has been a force for progress, jobs, peace and wider national development. The European Union has given us a secure and comfortable place in which to articulate our views, realise our hopes and contribute to the wider world. It has given us the confidence to shake off many of the preoccupations with which history burdened us. We have been participants in a process that has helped unite our Continent as never before. Former enemies are now committed partners and firm friends. The east-west divide is now a thing of the past and, closer to home, the EU and its member states have played their part in helping to end the conflict in Northern Ireland.

None of this happened in one fell swoop. The EU has been built slowly, brick by brick. It was founded on the rules and laws written by many hands. Some find fault with this, although many outside the EU observe us with a mixture of envy and awe. Given the combined interests and histories of 27 countries, it is inevitable that our treaties are complex and even inelegant in places. However, what matters most are the outcomes. I do not believe that any sensible person can look at the economic, political and social balance sheet and still say the EU has not been overwhelmingly positive for Ireland and Europe.

The reform treaty has been negotiated and agreed in the spirit of all previous European treaties, each of which allowed Ireland and Europe to progress. The reform treaty is no different in this respect and that is why the Government signed it and is now encouraging the people to vote "yes" in the upcoming referendum. We appreciate the support of other parties which are also campaigning for the treaty's ratification.

We have heard much comment outside this House about how the reform treaty represents a charter for the few large countries in the EU to bully the smaller ones. Such a view ignores the behaviour of large countries throughout the long history of the EU and suggests a lack of confidence in how small countries like Ireland can find our way in the world. A quick glance at the map makes clear that Europe is a small Continent full of small countries, many of which are smaller than Ireland. Those countries are not expressing disquiet about the future because they concur with the Government's view that small countries will be a crucial part of the future European Union.

Ratifying the referendum will confirm our faith in an international order based on solidarity, international co-operation and equality between member states. It will confirm for the international political and economic community that we continue to keep our feet firmly in Europe and our focus on economic prosperity, political stability and social progress. That is why the Government believes the reform treaty should be ratified.

The treaty will boost Ireland's capacity to address the domestic and international challenges we face. It will also allow us to continue to exploit the considerable opportunities that come with being members of the EU. It will enable us to maximise our capacity to act in our own interests. Ireland's sovereignty is not abstract but is a function of our capacity to act for our people and to enhance the quality of their lives. Ireland's sovereignty is to be measured in terms of our ability to defend prosperity, safeguard the environment and protect the jobs and livelihoods which the Irish people have worked so hard to create. These cannot be achieved in isolation because they depend on Ireland's capacity to nurture and protect our essential interests. Although our capacity to act is minimal if we are alone, it is enhanced and multiplied through the unique partnership of today's European Union. Membership has given us the Single Market, practical co-operation between member states and greater clout on the world stage. The reform treaty further increases Ireland's capacity to act by making the EU function better. This will benefit Ireland, which has always gained from an effective Europe. It will give a greater role to national parliaments and the European Parliament, make the EU more responsive to citizens' concerns, give Europe and European values more influence in the world and empower the EU to combat climate change. The treaty also allows us to make decisions on the policies which are of vital national interest to us, such as taxation, neutrality and the right to life of the unborn and other sensitive social policies.

Compared with previous EU treaties, the reform treaty is modest. While it makes necessary adjustments to the existing treaties, it does not propose radical change. Previous treaties have brought about the establishment of the Single Market and the introduction of the euro but the present treaty does nothing of that magnitude.

Opponents of the treaty are of course making outlandish and misleading claims in increasingly shrill terms. Certain opponents who in the recent past clamoured for increases in corporation tax now present themselves as champions and defenders of the corporate tax system. The treaty makes no change to the unanimity rule. No tax change can be imposed on Ireland or any other member state and it is dishonest to suggest otherwise. The parties supporting this treaty have designed our corporate tax policy and have a track record on this subject. They need no lessons from anti-EU opportunists. IBEC, the Chambers of Commerce and the men and women who have a track record in creating jobs in Ireland all recognise this. The business and wider communities will not be hood-winked by the nonsense being peddled by those who have always opposed our position in Europe or by groups which have appeared overnight.

Some opponents of the treaty are against the Common Agricultural Policy and the benefits it has brought to Irish farmers and rural communities. Others speak in apocalyptic terms about Ireland losing all influence in the EU and of sell-outs and takeovers. They falsely suggest the treaty will hand over policy on foreign direct investment to the European Commission. We will continue to pursue high quality investment projects and nothing in the treaty will cut across this. They claim the treaty will put an end to future referendums on EU treaties, which is also untrue. Holding a referendum will continue to be a matter for us to decide. No Irish Government would sign a treaty that affects our capacity to control taxation policy, foreign direct investment or national constitutional procedures. Many others around the EU table would equally resist such moves.

Ireland's future progress is tightly bound to our involvement in the EU. The way to ensure maximum progress is through full engagement in the Union. Through the EU we can continue to achieve our key economic and social goals, pursue our wider interests and maintain our particular identity on international issues. Without the EU, we would not have made the gains we have registered in recent years. We have higher levels of prosperity and employment than we could ever have achieved without membership. The transformation of our agricultural sector could not have happened without generous EU support. Foreign direct investment would not have reached the massive levels of today without guaranteed access to the Single Market and many infrastructural improvements would not have come about without the generous provision of Structural Funds.

It is fair to say that past behaviour is a good indicator of future performance. For this reason, Ireland has nothing to fear and everything to gain by supporting the treaty. The benefits of active and positive EU involvement have far outweighed the costs and this will continue to be the case. The Union should not be seen as a zero sum game because it is not. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

Why should we vote "Yes"? To make the European Union more efficient, effective, democratic, fit for purpose and capable of meeting the challenges that lie ahead, such as globalisation, energy security, climate change, mass migration and crime. It is my pleasure to have the opportunity to draw to a close Second Stage of this Bill.

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