Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)

Can the Minister of State confirm that the process of lodging the guarantees as an agreement with the United Nations, for example, follows the process followed in the Good Friday Agreement, which was also lodged with international bodies? For that reason it acquired status.

I refer to the conclusion on the status of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, which becomes a primary instrument of law. The position that no principle of the treaty can overrule a principle of the charter creates a space for legislation advancing workers' rights. I refer to the statement of the Heads of State in respect of social Europe. This is seen as a strengthening against the more ribald competitive aspects of the original draft of the Lisbon treaty. This is important as people come to make their decision. Work remains to be done in member states but it will be in the best interests of the good faith of the whole matter if legislation could be prepared to advance the legislation in respect of workers' rights that the charter makes possible.

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