Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

In the interests of a respectful debate, on any objective assessment of the balance sheet of the pros and cons of membership of the EU, the great majority of the evidence suggests that voting "Yes" and our continued membership and centrality in the EU provides the best mechanism for the advancement of this country's interests at home and abroad. Any objective assessment of the situation would confirm that. While some people have opposed this from the start — approximately 20% of the electorate in every referendum that has been held — it behoves the rest of us who are on the other side of the argument to ensure that we get the voters to come out and participate in what is an important issue for them.

I do not believe that it is in the interests of this country to send a signal to the rest of Europe that we wish to step back from a more efficient and effective European Union, an EU that brings more democracy to national parliaments than has been the case until now; an EU that provides for equality of treatment in the composition of the Commission, regardless of the size of the member state; an EU that maintains the institutional balance that has served this country well over the years. I do not believe that the whole industrial strategy that we have adopted in the past 35 years should be put at risk by a message we might send to the international investment community about our role in Europe and the platform we believe this economy represents in a Single Market with 500 million of the best paid consumers in the world available to us.

What message would we send to the international investment community, the more than 1,000 industries that have located here, many of which are at the high end of science, technology and software development and have brought modernisation to this country? What message do we send to them, their investors and their shareholders if we suggest that we are not prepared to vote "Yes" unequivocally to the EU? There are 128,000 people employed in those multinational industries and many more hundreds of thousands of people have jobs that depend on the health of those industries, while we have built up many indigenous industries over the years.

What do we say to the farming community to ensure that they keep an eye on the ball for this issue? We will be looking to a mid-term review of the Common Agricultural Policy between now and 2013. In what way is the voice of any agriculture Minister strengthened by a "No" vote, which would suggest that we are not prepared to go in and bat for our people?

While I accept the sincerity of other people's opinions, I believe the empirical evidence is very much in our favour. Members in this House should take courage from the fact that the people have discernment and they will respond to a clear elucidation of the issues during this referendum campaign. We have done it in the past and we can do it on this occasion. In the same way as they do for elections, people only bring their attention to the issues when the campaign has been launched and when we are actively involved in seeking to persuade them on the doorsteps, at the shopping centres and in the streets of every town and city in Ireland.

We will begin our campaign on 12 May 2008. So as not to get involved in the blame game, I would like to point out that over 50 meetings have been held by my party in every constituency in the country to mobilise our people. The logistics for our campaign are ready and we have gone to the printers. We will go out there vigorously because we believe that this is an important strategic decision for the Irish people. I am gladdened by the fact that we will be supported by other Members, whose parties will get out and make sure that their supporters are activated in that way.We look forward to a debate, but let it be a calm, correct and accurate debate.

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