Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

The reason for the reference to the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union is they are referred to in the definitions section of the 1972 Act and that they are amended by the Lisbon treaty. The latter maintains EURATOM as a separate entity and makes only technical changes to it. Therefore, it is not necessary or desirable to make the change proposed in the amendment. I refer the Deputy to the reference in section 2 that "'European Union' means the European Union, established by virtue of the Lisbon treaty and the European Atomic Energy Community". The Deputy's point regarding the need for a review of the EURATOM Treaty is one for another day. I certainly do not relish the prospect of further institutional review. It would be unwise to accept the Deputy's amendment.

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