Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)

I wish to share my time with Deputy Seán Conlan. I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on this matter. I will be supporting this treaty because I firmly believe it is the right thing for Ireland at the right time. I call on the people of the country, in particular the people of my constituency of Kerry South, to support it because it is the correct thing to do. I thank many of the people who have already come out publicly in support of this treaty, particularly some of the groups and organisations such as the IFA which have come out very strongly in favour of the treaty because they recognise its many positive attributes.

I firmly believe there is nothing to be afraid of in this treaty and that it will be a very positive step for the country. Ratifying it would provide access to the ESM which is very important for Ireland because it is not only a bailout option, it will also assist in terms of competition for when we return to the markets and it will help Ireland to secure better rates on the markets should we return to them.

As was mentioned by previous speakers, ratification of the treaty would send out a positive signal to existing and potential investors in Ireland. It is important that signal is sent out. It would also lead to a combined effort on the European stage to ensure huge national budget deficits are avoided in the future. That will happen for the countries that have ratified this treaty and it is important we are with them. It will not, however, prevent over-dependence on unsustainable revenue measures in the future. That is something about which we as a country need to be vigilant in the future. We need to ensure our income methods are kept sustainable and realistic unlike what happened in the previous decade.

I call for as much information as possible to be put into the public domain so that people can make an informed decision. I call for an objective debate on the issue and for the contributions from all parties to it to remain specifically on the issue and not to be diluted by side issues because that would be disingenuous and would not serve the country or its people. What the people deserve is a focus specifically on the treaty and on issues pertaining to it.

In regard to the logistics of the referendum, I have believed for a long time that all polling days in Ireland should be on a Saturday to allow maximum participation in the democratic process. I call for future polling days to be held on a Saturday. It would give people an opportunity to get to the ballot box and to exercise their democratic right. Presiding officers, polling clerks and counting staff should come from the live register. It would mean a great deal to those people. At this time when so many people are struggling financially, it would be a fair measure to give those people an opportunity to earn some income.

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