Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

As Deputy Kenny and others pointed out, we must bear in mind that the Germans have a constitutional position and if the German Chancellor says she has a constitutional problem in the constitutional court, we must at least respect the German position in the same way that we would expect and have received the Germans' respect for our position. That one respects another member state or its constitutional position does not mean that one surrenders any more than that other state surrenders to us.

Deputy Howlin asked a specific question about the nature of the change. We will wait until we see the wording, but the lack of enthusiasm for the suggestions that came out of Deauville from the German Chancellor and French President was clear. Only one member state indicated even a mild interest in going in that direction. None the less, the German Chancellor's stated position must be respected, in that she is anxious about anything that is done being constitutionally sound. Naturally, we all share her anxiety because we do not want any arrangement that is put in place to deal with future crises to be challenged in and found defective by any member state's constitutional court.

I assure the House that this country's position is clear and the boundary has been set out. Given the Crotty judgment and other judgments, it is clear that we will not find ourselves making a significant constitutional change through the back door.

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