Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 105, 109, 138 and 150 together.

At its meeting of 11-12 December, and following intensive negotiations, the European Council agreed that the concerns of the Irish electorate regarding the treaty of Lisbon, as identified by the Taoiseach, will be addressed to the satisfaction of Ireland and of the other member states, including through the provision of legal guarantees in a number of key areas.

The report of the Oireachtas Sub-Committee on Ireland's Future in Europe provided a very valuable input in helping to inform the Government's position ahead of this meeting, and made a significant contribution in enabling us to secure such a positive outcome. Once again I thank the Members of this House, and of the Seanad, who served on the sub-committee for their excellent work, which will be of continuing value in our ongoing discussions on Lisbon treaty issues during the Czech Presidency.

The European Council agreed that if the Lisbon treaty enters into force, each member state will continue to have the right to nominate a Commissioner. It agreed that legal guarantees will be given to Ireland in the areas of taxation, defence and sensitive issues covered by our Constitution, namely the right to life, education and family. It also agreed that the high importance the EU attaches to issues including workers' rights and social services will be confirmed. In response the Government said that conditional on the satisfactory completion of the detailed follow-up work necessary on these commitments by mid-2009, and on presumption of their satisfactory implementation, it is committed to seeking ratification of the treaty by the end of the term of the current Commission, which is expected to leave office at the end of October.

The Government will be working domestically, with our EU partners and with the EU institutions to give full effect to the commitments contained in the European Council conclusions. This will involve intensive consultations in the months ahead. We will be looking to finalise the required legal guarantees before the end of the Czech Presidency, which will hold two meetings of the European Council in March and in June. We will not take any decision on the holding of a second referendum until the concerns of the Irish people have been addressed to our full satisfaction.

With a view to advancing this work, we have already had a number of meetings with the Czech Presidency. After yesterday's GAERC meeting I met my Czech counterpart, Mr. Karel Schwarzenberg, and Czech deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Alexandr Vondra, who also has responsibility for European affairs. Earlier this month, my colleague, the Minister of State with special responsibility for European Affairs, Deputy Roche, attended an informal General Affairs Council meeting in Prague, where he also had meetings with the Czech Presidency. At an official level, my Department is in regular contact with partners, including the Presidency.

The Government believes it will be possible to secure the robust legal guarantees we require to address what have been identified as the most significant areas of public concern regarding the Lisbon treaty. Once this has been achieved, we are committed to seeking ratification of the Lisbon treaty through a referendum later this year. We will do all in our power to ensure a clear, comprehensive and inclusive national debate on the ratification of the treaty and on Ireland's future in Europe. This is a matter of the highest national importance. I look forward to all individuals and parties in this House who are committed to upholding Ireland's position within the European Union playing a full and active role in this vital national debate whose outcome will shape our future in Europe.

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