Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

One of the most important issues here is the creation and maintenance of employment. I welcome the fact that it was raised at the General Council meeting. Our party leader, Deputy Kenny, has taken it up with his EU colleagues. One of the issues mentioned at the Council was the creation of a friendly environment for employment. We are not good at this because we have many rules and regulations, whether in respect of planning or enforcement of regulations introduced during the Celtic tiger era which are inappropriate to the current climate. We must reconsider these regulations. Local authorities make it difficult for businesses to attract tourists, even from the point of view of erecting signs. These are small issues that can create a great deal of difficulty.

It is important to realise that the European Union has been a great source of employment. Since the Single European Act in 1992, over 2.5 million extra jobs were created in the Union. From 2004 until the current difficulties arose, employment increased in the old countries by 1.5% and in the new countries by 1%. The European Union has been a great source of employment as have the global market and the open economy. Despite our recent difficulties we should not shy away from this in future. It is important to have standardised financial regulation. I look forward to the recommendations of the de la Rosière report being implemented. If the EU could encourage the United States to implement a similar set of regulations, it would give rise to greater global stability in the financial markets.

Deputy Kenny mentioned the dairy farmers. It was sad to see farmers protesting because they do not have a strike mechanism but that brought home to me how difficult it was to understand why the agricultural community sat on the fence during the Lisbon treaty campaign last year because our agricultural community cannot survive without membership of the European Union. I hope that the leadership of that community will campaign for a "Yes" vote to the treaty. This involves more than adopting the Lisbon treaty; it involves keeping Ireland at the heart of Europe. It is important to articulate the many positive aspects of being involved in Europe instead of getting bogged down in the nonsensical arguments of the "No" camp which says nothing has changed. Much has changed in the rhetoric they used a year ago.

It is important for us to take a proactive role in the Middle East peace process. Many of the things happening in Israel are unacceptable. Yesterday, the Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Affairs met the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign. While many of its criticisms of Israel were justified, it could not give a view on Hamas when asked to do so. Anyone who debates this issue should come with clean hands and outline their position. I welcome the developments outlined by the Minister for Foreign Affairs in this area, but regret that members of his party put down a divisive motion at the committee as a result of which we invite groups arguing for one side. Equity cannot be sought without clean hands; otherwise, one cannot be part of creating a solution.

It is important to have lines of communication with Iran. It is too easy for us to see the riots on our television screens and not to understand the real problems. Isolation will not solve the problem. Iran's military capability is limited. It uses leverage on Hamas, Hizbollah and al-Qaeda but we must neutralise that extremism in Iran.

I also welcome the Council decision to seek the release and condemn the mock trial of Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma. I notice the Council's welcome for the closure of Guantanamo Bay. Has Ireland been asked to take any of the refugees from there? Where do we and Europe stand on that issue? What are the implications for us of taking someone?

The horizontal social clause which in effect means that every policy decision taken at EU level must consider the social implications is welcome. We would have very few rights for workers if they had not been initiated in the European Union.

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