Results 44,481-44,500 of 51,063 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Seanad: Twenty-Eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty of Lisbon) Bill 2009: Second Stage (9 Jul 2009)

Micheál Martin: It is an honour for me to introduce this Bill. Its purpose is to provide for the holding of a referendum on 2 October 2009, which would allow the people to vote on the Lisbon treaty. As the House knows, the people voted last June not to ratify the Treaty of Lisbon. The Government has made it clear throughout that it respects the decision of the people, as expressed in that referendum....

Seanad: Twenty-Eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty of Lisbon) Bill 2009: Second Stage (9 Jul 2009)

Micheál Martin: I thank Members for their contributions to this debate, which is hugely important in the context of our membership of the European Union and in terms of the future of this country during the next two decades. A number of diverse contributions were made. There appears to be a general sense among all Members of the importance of the role of national parliaments in terms of their relationship...

Seanad: Twenty-Eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty of Lisbon) Bill 2009: Second Stage (9 Jul 2009)

Micheál Martin: No.

Seanad: Twenty-Eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty of Lisbon) Bill 2009: Second Stage (9 Jul 2009)

Micheál Martin: The Senator should hear me out because I am responding to the point he made. As I asked in the Dáil last night, how many times has Ireland used the veto since we joined the European Union 35 years ago? Once.

Seanad: Twenty-Eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty of Lisbon) Bill 2009: Second Stage (9 Jul 2009)

Micheál Martin: Once. That speaks volumes about this issue. This has been run up and down but it is a non-issue. Ireland's place in Europe is not as the negative, suspicious blocker imagined by Sinn Féin. It is as an active consensus builder positively engaged in shaping negotiating outcomes to reflect our interests from the outside. Irish Ministers of various Governments and civil servants did not sit...

Seanad: Twenty-Eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty of Lisbon) Bill 2009: Second Stage (9 Jul 2009)

Micheál Martin: No.

Seanad: Twenty-Eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty of Lisbon) Bill 2009: Second Stage (9 Jul 2009)

Micheál Martin: The Lisbon treaty also contains another simplified revision procedure, which provides that the European Council, acting unanimously, can decide that a policy should in the future be decided by QMV rather than unanimity. This is a point the Senator was making earlier. However, it would have to be decided unanimously; therefore, we retain the veto.

Seanad: Twenty-Eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty of Lisbon) Bill 2009: Second Stage (9 Jul 2009)

Micheál Martin: No, we do not.

Seanad: Twenty-Eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty of Lisbon) Bill 2009: Second Stage (9 Jul 2009)

Micheál Martin: "Unanimous" means we call it. This procedure is intended for a case in which all member states and parliaments are of the opinion that a certain issue can be decided by QMV. The need for complete unanimity means this procedure will, in all probability, be rarely used, but the key point is that even in these limited circumstances nothing can be done without the agreement of all governments...

Seanad: Twenty-Eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty of Lisbon) Bill 2009: Second Stage (9 Jul 2009)

Micheál Martin: Again, Sinn Féin is trying to create a fog around the issue of the Commissioner. The figure of five years has been introduced out of the blue. This happened yesterday in the other House and it has happened again this evening. The scriptwriters and researchers are busy trying to put a spin on things and distort the reality. We are not claiming anything more or less than the following,...

Seanad: Twenty-Eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty of Lisbon) Bill 2009: Second Stage (9 Jul 2009)

Micheál Martin: Backing Lisbon will result in our retaining our Commissioner indefinitely. Claims that this arrangement is somehow time-limited are entirely bogus. This is a considerable victory for Ireland because some member states, particularly the Benelux countries, wanted a smaller Commission. There was a legitimate argument in Europe about this. They were willing to accommodate us because they...

Seanad: Twenty-Eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty of Lisbon) Bill 2009: Second Stage (9 Jul 2009)

Micheál Martin: I saw the attempt coming yesterday to cloud this and sow confusion. The people deserve better than clever political scripting to try to cause confusion around clear facts. Oireachtas scrutiny, which many Members mentioned, is an issue that needs to be taken seriously. It is important that Ministers speak before every Oireachtas committee in advance of and after Council meetings. In...

Seanad: Twenty-Eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty of Lisbon) Bill 2009: Second Stage (9 Jul 2009)

Micheál Martin: A significant difference. It might bring Senator Ross charging into the room.

Seanad: Twenty-Eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty of Lisbon) Bill 2009: Second Stage (9 Jul 2009)

Micheál Martin: A case was taken against the German Theatre Pension Institution for refusing to recognise his entitlement to a widow's pension as part of the survivor's benefits provided for under the compulsory occupational pension scheme of which his deceased same-sex partner had been a member. The court in Munich referred the case to the European Court of Justice in 2006 for an interpretation of Council...

Twenty-Eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty of Lisbon) Bill 2009: Second Stage (8 Jul 2009)

Micheál Martin: Tairgim: "Go léifear an Bille an Dara hUair anois." I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." It is an honour for me to introduce this Bill. Its purpose is to provide for the holding of a referendum on 2 October 2009, which would allow the people to vote on the Lisbon treaty. The people voted last June not to ratify the Treaty of Lisbon, by 53.4% to 46.6%. The turn out was 53%....

Twenty-Eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty of Lisbon) Bill 2009: Second Stage (8 Jul 2009)

Micheál Martin: That would be wise. I apologise.

Twenty-Eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty of Lisbon) Bill 2009: Second Stage (8 Jul 2009)

Micheál Martin: We are not allowed BlackBerrys in the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Twenty-Eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty of Lisbon) Bill 2009: Second Stage (8 Jul 2009)

Micheál Martin: Perhaps I will remove the stapler as well. It has been causing me immense grief. The Heads of State and Government agreed that the legal guarantees will be set out in a protocol to the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union at the time of the conclusion of the next accession treaty, which will probably be in 2010 or 2011. As a protocol, the legal...

Twenty-Eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty of Lisbon) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2009)

Micheál Martin: I thank all Deputies for their contributions to today's debate. By and large it was constructive and I will endeavour to respond to a number of issues that Members raised. To cut to the chase, Deputy Ó Snodaigh raised a number of points that need to be dealt with quickly. He put forward the idea that we had negotiated a behind the scenes deal which would mean having a commissioner for...

Twenty-Eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty of Lisbon) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2009)

Micheál Martin: If one votes "No" this time we will lose our commissioner. I will quote from the Council's conclusions which state: Having carefully noted the concerns of the Irish people as set out by the Taoiseach, the European Council, at its meeting of 11-12 December 2008, agreed that, provided the Treaty of Lisbon enters into force, a decision would be taken, in accordance with the necessary legal...