Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputy Kenny for the part he played in ensuring that our colleagues and his colleagues in the EPP political grouping of prime ministers and leaders were helpful and supportive and understood what Ireland sought. I agree that the clarifications and confirmations we received have legal effect. They are not simply the interpretations of 27 member states but are a form of Council decision which gives legal effect to what is intended in the treaty in respect of the issues and areas of concern that Ireland raised.

The texts provided are the ones we sought. They were agreed to and are given the legal effect of a Council decision and there is an undertaking to attach a protocol to the next accession treaty in the European Union when a further enlargement takes place. That will give full treaty status to that decision. No eminent person or lawyer with knowledge of international law or the law of treaties doubts for one moment that the confirmations, clarifications and texts of the legal decisions that we have obtained and which will become a protocol in due course have the same status as the treaty provisions. That is so without doubt or impediment.

There is no formal arrangement with any Heads of State or Government to visit Ireland between now and the referendum. Colleagues have indicated that they are prepared to help in any way that is deemed appropriate. In a discussion over dinner about the nomination of Mr. Barroso as President of the Commission I said that for the tenure of this Commission all of us engaged in politics, whether as leaders of parties or Heads of Government or State need to visit and engage more with each other on the European agenda, to bring to the attention of their national electorates the importance and relevance of the European Union in their day to day lives. We need to develop a political narrative here as in other member states that would engage the citizenry of Europe to a far greater extent than has proved possible. In our case, we had local elections at the same time as the European elections and we would all agree that the turnout for European elections was far higher as a result.

The basic point to be made generally, as we have done previously when discussing European matters at Question Time, is that we need to build on the all-party committee's work and the clarifications that emanated from that process of discourse, discussion and political thinking. It brought a great degree of clarity and political nous to addressing the issue.

The European Union was given an opportunity to show solidarity with the Irish people in respect of the decision that was made last year and it worked at its best, which in many respects kills off the argument about a European Union that seeks to impose on Ireland things it does not wish to have. It is far better to recognise that smaller states' interests are considered. It is true that the basis upon which we were able to move forward was that there would not be a re-ratification of the Lisbon treaty in other member states. This was the sole condition that enabled them to assist us in trying to bring clarity and confirmation to the issues of concern of the Irish people. That being said, the fact that we will obtain a protocol in respect of these concerns and this decision is indicative of the full solidarity that has been displayed and the spirit of generosity and consensus that is part of the modus operandi of the European Union working at its best.

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