Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the opportunity to discuss the Convention on the Future of Europe. As it moves into a crucial phase of its work, it is important that the public and public representatives be as informed as possible. Our experience of the two referenda on the Nice treaty has taught us not to take the public for granted and to try to ensure it is aware of developments in the Convention and prepared for the final outcomes of both it and the Intergovernmental Conference to follow. The process will lead to a new treaty which I expect will have to be put before the people in a referendum.

I will outline the most recent developments and the approach and main priorities of the Government in respect of the Convention. Senators who have been following its work will know that it is now moving into its most decisive phase. The first months of its work were devoted to a general debate on a wide range of issues, such as the values, aims and competences of the European Union, and engaging with civil society through, for example, the convening of a special plenary session involving the young people of Europe. This was known as the listening period which has now passed, as has the second phase.

In recent months we have been involved in the second phase which was known as the analysis period. Eleven working groups were established to examine important issues in greater detail and make recommendations to the Convention. These working groups discussed issues such as subsidiarity, the European charter of fundamental rights, legal personality, national parliaments, complementary competences, economic governance, external affairs, defence, simplification of the Union's instruments, freedom, security and justice and social Europe. The working groups came forward with some very positive ideas and suggestions and their work will be reflected strongly in the final document produced by the Convention.

The Convention has now entered its drafting phase. The plenary session at the beginning of February saw the release of drafts of the first 16 articles of the new treaty. These deal with the values, objectives, legal personality and competences of the European Union. Convention members were requested to forward amendments to these articles, and the articles were discussed at last week's plenary session. Therefore, today's discussion in the Seanad is particularly timely.

I brought forward a number of amendments that, if accepted, will help to clarify the texts. These have been discussed by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Affairs, the work of which I am grateful for. I will be happy to furnish Senators with copies of my amendments, if they so wish. My approach is not to call into question the basic structure of the Praesidium's proposals but to try to make the text more legally precise and, above all, clearer for the average citizen.