Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)

-----namely, eat, drink and be happy and spend like there is no tomorrow and no rules either. The ULA, People Before Profit, the extreme socialists and Sinn Féin have found themselves to be the natural successors to the Progressive Democrats. They are a motley crew and they advocate that the Government should stay away from the issue of controlling expenditure and that governments should not impose rules. The philosophy of no rules, no regulation, no oversight and no consequences is what got us into this mess in the first instance. The new band of progressive democrats in this Dáil want that philosophy to be adopted once again.

Small, open economies such as Ireland's do not have the luxury of operating in the so-called eurosceptic bubble. It is certain that the Marxist-Leninist-communist elements in this House would lead this country into a soviet-style economic winter if they got their way. It is a pity that the mask and balaclava, only recently removed from Irish politics and which clearly have no place in Ireland, re-emerged last weekend in such an ugly fashion. All democrats in this Dáil should oppose any element that tries to undermine the democracy of this State and condemn the thuggish elements that seek to conceal their identity while attacking members of An Garda Síochána.

This is an important treaty for the people of Ireland in constituencies around the country in telling the world that Ireland is open for business. We want inward investment and to be at the centre of Europe. We want a stable currency, balanced budgets and our people back to work in an economy built on a rock-solid foundation rather than the sand that was so easily washed away in 2008. This is a treaty concerning the future of this country and it is not about the extraneous issues which some people will drag into this Chamber. It has nothing to do with most of what we will hear in the next couple of minutes from some of the speakers lining up behind me. It is about the type of future we want for the coming generations and in my opinion, the only route this country must take is a clear and resounding "Yes" vote. It is "Yes" to Ireland being at the centre of Europe and "Yes" to getting our people back to work.

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