Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

The current Commission is due to reach its conclusion in November, which is why we indicated last December that if we received the necessary guarantees and the change in regard to each member state retaining its Commissioner, we would put the issue before the people to facilitate the formation of the new Commission under the Lisbon treaty. If the new Commission is appointed under the Nice Treaty, the likelihood is that there will be a reduced Commission, with the implication that Ireland could lose its voice at the Commission table and could lose a Commissioner. Therefore, it makes sense that if everybody is agreed we should retain our Commissioner, we would vote "Yes" to the Lisbon treaty because that is the only logical, legal way that we can facilitate the retention of a Commissioner for Ireland into the future.

I have no idea when Ireland will appoint its Commissioner but that is obviously the Taoiseach's prerogative.

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