Seanad debates

Thursday, 12 September 2002

An Bille um an Séú Leasú is Fiche ar an mBunreacht, 2002: An Dara Céim. Twenty-sixth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 2002: Second Stage.

 

I cannot understand people who want to vote "No". They can see the benefits of European Union membership, which are measurable, real and tangible and are not aspirational – you can reach out and touch them. Do we want to throw those benefits away? In voting "No" we will stop people who have suffered for 40 or 50 years from joining. I listened to Senator Mooney, who spoke about Poland and the other countries. Do they want to join the Union as quickly as they can to be swallowed up or to have their Polishness destroyed? People in this House are united on the matter. There are obviously voices and movements that may have legitimate concerns but we must put them to rest. The Government and other parties are working to put these fears to rest because they are not realistic. If we continue like this we will be the Roy Keane of Europe, we will be a brilliant player but we will not be on the team. That is not what I want. I am advocating a "Yes" vote because I want to be on the team with the rest of them and fighting our corner as we have always done.

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