Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

The Taoiseach has already reported to the House on the institutional issues that were resolved at the Council, namely, Ireland's Lisbon treaty guarantees and the appointment of a new President of the Commission. I will return to Ireland's legally binding guarantee on security and defence in a moment, but first I wish to report on the important foreign policy issues we considered in Brussels.

The Council stressed that the outcome of the Iranian elections should reflect the aspirations and choices of the people of Iran and strongly condemned the use of violence against protestors. It called for the immediate and unconditional release of Aung San Suu Kyi and urged the Burmese Government to embark on a genuine transition to democracy which would help bring peace and prosperity to the people of that country who have endured decades of authoritarian rule.

The Council condemned the recent nuclear test and missile launches carried out by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The EU welcomed Pakistan's resolve to step up counter-terrorism efforts and recognises the sacrifices the Pakistani people and armed forces are making. The Union also committed itself to supporting the Government of Pakistan in implementing a comprehensive rehabilitation and reconstruction plan for the region. It reaffirmed its long-term commitment to supporting Afghanistan on its path to security, stability and prosperity, while stressing that primary responsibility for the development of the country lies with the Afghan authorities.

Membership of the European Union enables Ireland's voice to be heard more clearly on international issues. Through the EU, we can exert a meaningful influence on the world around us. By combining with countries of like mind, we can help promote the international values we hold dear. At the Council, Ireland secured a set of legally binding guarantees, which will be annexed to the treaties as a protocol after the Lisbon treaty enters into force.

One of these guarantees relates to security and defence. Some treaty opponents have claimed, mischievously, that this guarantee is not watertight. They maintain that it will be open to interpretation by the European Court of Justice. This is totally untrue. The reality is that the Court has virtually no jurisdiction over the common foreign and security policy of the Union. This will not change under Lisbon. The treaty makes this plain.

Certain aspects of the Union's external policies will change as a result of Lisbon. One of the treaty's key aims is to give the Union a more coherent international voice. Two new posts will be created, the President of the European Council and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. These new posts are intended to improve the way in which the Union operates internationally.

Under the Lisbon treaty, the Union will be better equipped to deal with international crises wherever they arise. We have had good examples in the past year of why the Union needs to be better equipped to cope with international problems. Last year's crisis in Georgia underlined the need for a Union capable of speaking and acting cohesively. The interruption of gas supplies from Russia through the Ukraine in January left homes in a number of EU countries without heating in the depths of winter. The Union's ability to act in the shared interests of the member states helped defuse that energy security crisis. Securing Europe's energy supplies will be a continuing priority for the EU in the years ahead. No small country can possibly cope with such issues alone.

Since 2003, the EU has launched 23 crisis management operations, of which 17 have been civilian operations. Only six of them have been military. We should be proud that Ireland has been involved in 10 of these missions. The operations commander for one of them, the EUFOR mission in Chad and the Central African Republic, was an Irish general, Pat Nash. He led 4,000 troops from 19 nations in a mission which protected 400,000 displaced persons and refugees fleeing the conflict in Darfur. As a result of their efforts the women in the refugee camps could forage for firewood nearby without running the risk of being raped by rebels or bandits. Attempts to dismiss operations such as this as some form of imperialism or a militarisation of Europe, as we have just heard, are an insult to the professionals involved and to the vulnerable people they are trying to protect.

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