Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

The position is that a number of states have yet to ratify and we do not know whether they will proceed with ratification and what the outcome of their ratification processes will be. However, let us say we end up in a situation where all of the remaining states have ratified and one has not. Has the Taoiseach taken any legal advice as to what our situation will be at that point in insisting that the treaty cannot be ratified? The worst case scenario is 26 states moving ahead on the basis of what is in the Lisbon treaty, perhaps calling it something other than the Lisbon treaty, and Ireland being left in a semi-detached situation. Has the Government received any legal advice in that regard?

What is the Taoiseach's assessment of the prospect of renegotiation of the treaty? For example, one of the issues which arose quite prominently was the question of the Commissioner. Is it possible to renegotiate a scenario where every state would have a Commissioner?

While there is much focus on what will happen with the treaty and the European institutions, a concern of many people is what will happen to Ireland's relationship with the European Union in respect of day-to-day matters. What consideration has been given by Government — I appreciate it has been a short time — to ensuring that when individual Ministers go to Council meetings to deal with matters such as agriculture, fisheries and the environment our interests will not suffer a collateral consequence? Everybody will say that we will not suffer such a consequence and will state our entitlement and position, but there is an unspoken concern that Ireland's influence in respect of day-to-day dealings with the European Union may now be in a different place than it was a week ago. What steps are being taken by Government to ensure that any such collateral damage is minimised?

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