Ann Ormonde (Fianna Fail)

I welcome Mr. De Rossa and thank the Leader of the House for making it possible to discuss this important issue.

I had to think before I came into the House. Even though I am a member of the Joint Committee on European Affairs, I still have problems with many of the major issues. Since the referendum on the Nice treaty the Convention has been established and gathered momentum. I pay tribute to the Irish delegation. Its members do Trojan work on our behalf and work as a team, although they do not always sing from the same hymn sheet and differences occasionally emerge.

If I was standing in front of a classroom full of students, I would have to ask myself how I would address the issue of the Convention. How would I break it down? The Convention is about formulating a new treaty. We are seeking a new integrated approach that combines all of the treaties in a readable and comprehensible manner that will stand the test of time. How do we do this?

The Convention was established with 105 members and 102 alternates. Its membership was then divided into 11 groups. What does each group talk about? It talks about that word that I dread, "subsidiarity", which I do not understand. If I said "subsidiarity" to the public with no explanation, it would think I was talking nonsense. I have thought long and hard about its meaning. Mr. De Rossa can correct me if I am too simplistic but subsidiarity is how best to make decisions at the appropriate level. Issues can be dealt with at local, regional, national or European level. That makes sense. Why do we have to use the word "subsidiarity"? Why should decisions be made in Brussels which can be made in the Oireachtas, at regional level or in my local council?