Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

Will the Taoiseach confirm that, at the European Council meeting last week, he secured no changes and no commitments to make any changes to the actual text of the Lisbon treaty? Given that no changes have been secured and no commitments to make any changes to the actual text have been made, why has the Taoiseach agreed to put the same treaty to the electorate, which has already rejected it? In a previous manifestation, it was rejected by other European electorates.

The Government has told us that key issues that arose in the referendum will be dealt with by what have been described as legally binding guarantees. What is the nature of those guarantees? Will the Taoiseach spell out for this Deputy and the House exactly what it is that the Government is proposing? How would he respond to this Deputy's opinion and that of many others that the guarantees will be of questionable enforceability and will not measure up to amendments or protocols to the treaty, the necessary critical elements? Will they amount to nothing other than political declarations with no legally binding powers? Is it the case, as indicated by President Sarkozy, that some declarations or all of what has been suggested by the Taoiseach and other national commentators on these recent developments will accompany the accession treaty for Croatia in 2010 or 2011?

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