Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 6, inclusive, together. I attended the European Council on 18 and 19 June in Brussels. As I will make a statement to the House later today, I will merely give a summary account of the proceedings.

The European Council took several important decisions on future financial regulation within the Union with the aim of protecting the European financial system from future risks and ensuring that the mistakes of the past can never be repeated. Ireland fully accepts the need and indeed the urgency of putting in place the proposed new system. There was also a discussion on the European economic recovery plan and on employment in particular.

In respect of climate change, the main goal of the Council was to ensure a comprehensive and effective agreement at global level later this year in Copenhagen. With that goal in mind, last week's discussions and conclusions move the Union's position along so that we can continue to provide leadership in the international negotiations. It will be necessary to return to this issue at our October meeting. The Council also discussed illegal migration.

From an Irish perspective, the key focus of the Council was gaining agreement on the legally binding guarantees to respond to the concerns of the Irish people. I am pleased to tell the House that we secured the guarantees that we required on tax, neutrality and ethical issues. I am obliged to the leaders of the Opposition parties for their support for the Lisbon treaty. The 27 Heads of State and Government also agreed that these will become part of the treaties by means of a protocol. The Union also reaffirmed the importance of workers' rights and public services. We had already reached agreement that each member State would retain a Commissioner, and that was re-confirmed last week.

The outcome from the European Council is of huge significance to Ireland. Since the referendum last June, our objective has been to address the concerns expressed by the people. I believe that these concerns have been addressed. On this basis, I will recommend to the Government that we return to the people to seek their approval for Ireland to ratify the treaty. I expect that the referendum will take place in early October.

The guarantees we have secured make it crystal clear that Ireland remains in control of its own tax rates; Irish neutrality is unaffected by the treaty, for example the idea of conscription or a European army is nonsense; and the protections in the Irish Constitution on the right to life, education and the family are not in any way affected by the Lisbon treaty.

I had several discussions with Prime Minister Brown over the course of the Council, which focused on Ireland's legal guarantees. I also had discussions with many of my Council colleagues during the Council including Prime Minister Fischer, President of the European Council, about those guarantees.

In respect of my travel plans for the remainder of 2009, it is my intention to attend the British Irish Council on 13 November in Jersey. I will also, of course, attend the remaining European Council meetings in October and December.

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