Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Bill, as did my party in the other House. We attempted on Committee Stage to table constructive amendments, some of which were accepted. I was very happy to see the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Cowen, in the House and I compliment him on his efforts to date in regard to the Nice treaty referendum.

The Minister ended his remarks on the legislation by conveying further words of wisdom on the broader matter of the Nice treaty. We are having this debate and discussing this proposal because of the outcome of the first Nice treaty referendum, which was a surprise defeat. There was a willingness among all the political parties to ask themselves some searching, fundamental questions as to the reason the first referendum on the treaty was rejected by the people last year. They all responded in their own particular ways, but the Labour Party responded by publishing the European Union (Scrutiny) Bill, 2001. It is welcome that it was accepted at the time by the Government as a meaningful response to what the people had said by their negative vote last year. That is the backdrop to this legislation.

One issue that arises continually, not only when discussing this legislation but also when discussing broader European issues, politics and proposals, is that of the democratic deficit. Those two words have taken on a new currency. All of us who spoke on the Nice treaty a fortnight or three weeks ago mentioned the democratic deficit as if it were only a European issue and problem.