Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

I am glad to have an opportunity to speak on this important subject. However, I must point out to Members on all sides of the House that a five-minute speech is hardly sufficient in dealing with Ireland's future in the European Union. It is appalling that we are reduced to this time allocation. Some Members will not even get to speak.

As Chairman of the Joint Committee on European Affairs, I compliment Senator Paschal Donohoe and the members of the sub-committee on the work they did in difficult circumstances within tight time constraints. I hope its report will resonate with the Minister and the Government and that there will be a significant response which will lift the debate on Ireland's participation in the European Union back to the level it once held. Every leader of the country since 1973 has been steadfastly in favour and thoroughly supportive of Ireland's membership of the European Union and full participation in it. In more recent years we have adopted the policy of seeking possible opt-outs, declarations and clauses. It is no harm to remind the House that every time one seeks an opt-out one moves further from the centre. Denmark did it a few years ago, having previously been at the centre of the European Union. It was much feared by its competitors, especially in the food producing sector. No longer is it such; now it is having second thoughts and is trying to come back into the circle again.

We must ask ourselves where it went wrong. Irreparable damage has already been done. If the treaty is not passed before the European elections, further, more serious damage will be done. There are those who say it cannot happen before then. If not, it will be too late for the country. Many recognise that the damage done by the failure to ratify the treaty has significance for the country, socially, politically and economically. The conspiracy theorists have been running around the country for the past six months, with the abortion, lack of sovereignty and erosion of neutrality theorists. This is rubbish and nonsense that has been discussed hundreds of times in the House and at European level. On the participation of the Defence Forces in European battle groups which suddenly are so reprehensible to some, the Defence Forces have been pariticipating and serving outside the country with distinction for the past 50 years. Only now there is the triple lock mechanism proposal to ensure we do the right thing.

It would have been helpful if senior members of the Government had at least read the Lisbon treaty before the referendum and publicly pronounced that they had done so. It would have been a help to those in favour of it. This has been mentioned to me at several meetings I have attended all over Europe.

I have been a member of the Joint Committee on European Affairs for 24 or 25 years. In all my time I have never seen Ireland in a more precarious position. The Minister and the Government have a serious task. If we think the economic difficulties we face are the biggest we ever will face, let us see what will happen if we are pushed further to the outskirts of the European Union. The European Union ship will continue to sail whether the Irish shout "Stop". The ship has moved and we have been left standing on the shore. Unless we find a punt to get back on board before the European elections in June, it will be too late.

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