Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)

While I acknowledge and accept the result of last Thursday's referendum on the Lisbon treaty, I do not underestimate the damage done to Ireland by the result. The discontent that has arisen from the result is clear from the reports of newspapers and television stations across Europe. I noted it when I listened to the debate in the European Parliament earlier today and when I followed the debate, from the margins, that has been taking place on the diplomatic side of Council meetings. I wish the Taoiseach, the Minister, Deputy Martin, and the Minister of State, Deputy Roche, well tomorrow as they start the process of dealing with the result and tackling the issues we face as a consequence of it.

Many of the issues about which people are concerned such as military affairs, social issues and taxation are not even mentioned in the treaty. The campaign of the "Yes" side may have been unsuccessful, but at least it was honest. We promoted the virtues of the treaty and the European Union. It is unfortunate that Deputy Ó Snodaigh has left the Chamber. Nobody on the "Yes" side is associating the "No" side with Jean-Marie Le Pen or others on the far right in the United Kingdom or continental Europe. People on the far right, including Jean-Marie Le Pen, are associating themselves with Ireland. Irish people who saw the scenes in the European Parliament this morning, when some MEPs wore green t-shirts bearing the slogan "respect the Irish vote", cannot have been happy. There have been many unusual coalitions in this House during the years, but the coalition on the "No" side of Sinn Féin, the Tories and the UK Independence Party must be one of the most unusual we have seen. Groups with no strategic interest in Ireland, which have never shown any interest in the people of Ireland, are wrapping their flags around our "No" vote and appropriating our values as a country.

We need to address the concerns highlighted by the "No" vote. We need to put in place a process by means of which that can happen, while allowing the European Union to move on. We cannot stop the whole European project. We must help to find a solution quickly. As Deputy Ned O'Keeffe has said, in the year to come we face European elections and the appointment of a new Commission. We do not have much time to work on the development of an inclusive process. That process starts tomorrow. I am sure we will have many more debates on the matter. The House will send its good wishes with the Taoiseach, the Minister, Deputy Martin, and the Minister of State, Deputy Roche, tomorrow. I do not doubt that the House will debate the consequences of tomorrow's meeting. If we delude ourselves by telling ourselves that damage is not being done to our interests across Europe, we will weaken our national position.

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