Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)

The Tánaiste also said at the initial stages of this debate that this treaty is merely a continuation of existing approaches at European level and I cite, for example, the six pack. I could read into the record of the House - I will not do so - what his own party colleagues, the three Labour MEPs, said in response to the six pack. They voted against most of the measures. The one measure they did not vote against was one containing a social clause and that social clause is not part of this treaty. Apparently the Tánaiste plans to lead this campaign with passion and vigour but he will be out of kilter with the Left, those in the social democracy movement across Europe, those who are deeply alarmed that this treaty will only strengthen the nature of the crisis. Ireland is being asked to insert the implications of this treaty into constitutional law when we do not see the full solution. We are told this is part of an overall strategy and solution but we are being asked to take such a draconian step without the full picture or any real indication of how we are to address the banking crisis with justice, with full disclosure of all the mess across all of Europe, how we are to address the sovereign debt crisis - the announcement today will certainly not do that for Ireland - and how we are to look at the issue of growth, of investment and how to tackle the European unemployment crisis.

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