Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

It is interesting to note how difficult some colleagues find it to accept that everyone will not always agree with them.

Throughout the Lisbon referendum campaign Sinn Féin argued that a better deal was possible. We argued that the Irish people's concerns on workers' rights, public services, neutrality, democracy, tax sovereignty and international trade were valid and had to be addressed. The Taoiseach, Deputy Brian Cowen, and his fellow "Yes" campaign supporters told the people that there was no better deal to be had. Last week's meeting of the EU Council has proven this proposition wrong. However, the EU Council agreement raises more questions than answers. Earlier this morning, we had some opportunity to commence teasing that out.

As it stands today, the Government has committed itself to re-running a referendum on the same treaty the people rejected on 12 June. They have not secured any changes to the Lisbon treaty or its protocols. The deal struck will not address the substantive issues raised by the electorate time and time again before and after the Lisbon referendum. Sinn Féin wants to see these issues addressed. Ireland is a full and active member of the European Union and will remain so. We want to see Ireland's influence maintained and enhanced. We want to see neutrality protected. We want to see a social progress clause that will protect workers' pay and conditions. We want to see a new approach on public services. We want to see the promotion of a trade policy that is good for Irish farmers and the developing world. We want to see the Government deliver on the mandate it was given.

What did the Government agree to? Over the last number of days we have listened to Ministers in the media telling us that the changes they secured on the issue of a Commissioner and a number of declarations will allow them to return to the people and re-run the referendum. The question is whether these assertions stand up to scrutiny. In our opinion, on the evidence before us, they do not.

We are told that the agreement which was reached allows all member states to keep their Commissioner if the Lisbon treaty is passed by October 2009, but that is not true. Under the Nice treaty unanimity is required to decide the number of Commissioners. An interim solution could have been found to allow for every state to keep its Commissioner until the broader issue of the reform of the EU was resolved. This could have been done while the broader issues of the EU's democratic deficit, workers' rights and public services, militarisation and the influence of small countries in the EU institutions were being addressed. The Government had the opportunity to put these issues on the table but, with respect, it failed to do so.

The second assertion is about legally binding guarantees. The Government has told the people that a number of the key issues of debate during the referendum will be dealt with through legally binding guarantees. We are also being told that this may happen in the context of the Croatian accession treaty in 2010 or 2011. How this is to be achieved, and what impact it will have on the Lisbon treaty, is not clear. What is clear, however, is that any future accession treaty will not be put to the people in a referendum. What we are likely to get is some form of declaration, promising protocols to an accession treaty that we may or may not see prior to a second Lisbon treaty referendum. That is a very important point.

Contrary to claims made by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Micheál Martin, in newspapers this week, Sinn Féin has not rejected any deal before considering its detail.

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