Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

We should state how Ireland sees Europe evolving and what is in the best interest of Ireland. We must engage citizens. What is clear from the Taoiseach's speech, which he did not say last weekend, is that we will need treaty change in Ireland. There will be further referendums on this point and we should tell people that and explain to them why it is necessary and in the best interests of Ireland and Europe. We should tell people our position and how far we are prepared to go on fiscal union, political union and monetary union. These are fundamental questions and people should not be surprised by them when they arrive on their doorsteps again via a referendum. As they did in the previous referendum, people always complain about a lack of information, a lack of preparation and a lack of understanding of the issues. The reason is that people keep ducking and diving. Before the previous referendum, the Government would not say for 12 months it wanted treaty change. Then, the Attorney General said we needed a referendum and the Government had to get its ducks lined up in a row in a hurry. There was major dissatisfaction among the public in respect of its understanding of the issues. That is a genuine issue for the country. A fundamental re-evaluation of the shape of the European Union is coming down the tracks. This refers to fiscal, economic and political aspects and there is not a genuine articulation of it from the Government side. In a speech in March, I expressed how Fianna Fáil sees a genuine fiscal union emerging. This is not one about balancing books but one that involves a genuine transfer union. We must share these issues with the people. I do not get any sense from the Taoiseach's speech of this being done.

The House should be aware that the summit explicitly noted that progress is supposedly being made on common tax policies but the Government has failed to provide any update whatsoever on what it has been discussing. I did not get any sense of that from the Taoiseach's speech. What is meant by the comments that good progress is being made in common tax policies? We need to know the lie of the land.

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