James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)

I compliment Deputies Kenny and Gilmore on forcing this debate today. "Democracy" and "the undisputed right of our citizens to engage in the democratic process" are terms that are tossed about in everyday conversation and are taken as givens in society. However, an important part of any democratic process is empowerment through knowledge. Asking people to vote on something that not only they, but also their political leaders in Fianna Fáil do not understand is flying in the face of democracy as we understand it. To put in mildly, for the leader of a country and its EU Commissioner to claim not to have read or understood a treaty on which the electorate was being asked to vote was bizarre.

To compound their other mistakes, the Taoiseach and Commissioner Charlie McCreevy made the strange decision to admit that they had not even read the treaty. The Tánaiste did not even know the details of the Commissioners issue. At no stage was the Fianna Fáil alignment – should I say weak alignment? — with Europe highlighted on its posters. This omission points to its dissociation from the European Union. To base our economic future and wider involvement as a member of the Union on such shaky ground cannot be taken lightly. The bottom line is that we now have a Government that is effectively paralysed by the voice of a public that declined to be led by the nose into unknown and uncharted territory.

The information deficit that resulted from the Government's inactivity opened the door to the misinformation campaign of groups such as Cóir, which played on the fears of a public adrift in a sea of incomprehensible professional language. Rumour and counter-rumour abounded about the treaty and abortion, playing on the religious and moral feelings of communities. The Government handed the reins of power to groups running deliberately orchestrated misinformation campaigns. The Fianna Fáil Government failed us and failed to protect our citizens from abuse. There was no Government, there is no Government and we have been detached from Europe.

In the midst of the stirring of emotions, where were the Ministers? Where were their words of reason and reassurance? Where was the leadership we have a right to expect from the Government? This is a tired Government and we are suffering the consequences of its inability to lead and inspire. Government in this country is now just an illusion as we stand on the edge of economic fallout, rapidly increasing unemployment rates, rising crime rates and anti-social behaviour without viable or strong leadership.

I foresaw the result of the Lisbon treaty vote as far back as April and at that time slammed the Government for its lack of communication with the electorate and its failure to inform the public properly regarding the issues. On 29 April, shocked by the lack of input by the Government parties, I requested the adjournment of the House under Standing Order 32 in the hope of generating some Government activity that would lead to the proper and very necessary removal of the information deficit.

I highlighted the failure of the Government to ensure that Irish citizens were given the means to make an informed decision on the Lisbon treaty as the level of public understanding of the treaty was very poor and I pointed out that two thirds of the population did not understand the treaty text, which they were obliged to access themselves as the Government did not give them a copy. Considering the fiasco regarding the Nice treaty, this again constituted gross mismanagement by the Government.

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