Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

At least we stuck by what we said after the referendum result, unlike Deputy Gilmore who said at the time the treaty was dead in the water.

References to legally binding guarantees are meaningless. The guarantees are nothing more than a series of clarifications of some aspects of the Lisbon treaty. The treaty itself has not been changed. The clarifications have not altered the text, but that is what was sought. Senior UCD lecturer in law, Gavin Barrett, stated last week in an article in The Irish Times:

Normally a treaty requires ratification by member states. This treaty does not. This is because it involves the member states offering existing legal guarantees and clarifications only in respect of substantive legal obligations already explicit or implicit in the treaty.

Níl athrú déanta ar an téacs. Mar sin, nuair a thagann muid chun vóta a chaitheamh arís ar chonradh Liospóin, beidh muid ag caitheamh an vóta ar an chonradh ceanann céanna, leis na himpleachtaí ceannann céanna d'Éire agus don Aontas Eorpach.

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