Brendan Ryan (Labour)

I welcome the Minister of State and agree with Senator Henry that if ever a man was made for a job, it was he. Just like the Dalai Lama it seems he was being formed for it since he was born. The country is well served by the political representatives we have attached to the Convention. It is good that, for the first time, we have a broad range of political representation. The two main parties are involved with the Labour Party. I am genuinely sorry that there is no Progressive Democrats participant. It is important that we create a bedrock of agreement about the future of the European Union. It is important also that we broaden it as far as possible and try to engage everybody not instinctively hostile to the concept. This was not done for previous treaties.

I am an enthusiast for the European project, though people may not believe this. I have been so from the beginning but did not like what I was offered in terms of implementation of the project. The first time I voted "Yes" in a referendum was in the second Nice treaty referendum because I believed it was the first treaty on which we were voting which would do harm to others. Whatever way we voted on the previous treaties, we would be the beneficiaries or losers depending on the decision made. I believe the people were wiser than I in regard to most of those decisions. The Nice treaty was singularly different because we were in a position to do enormous harm to other countries and this was the biggest factor which changed my mind.

I am also an enthusiastic believer in the European social market model. If I was asked to define that concept, I would reply that I am better able to describe rather than define it. Proinsias De Rossa, MEP, made this point last week. I am not reiterating it in a party political sense, but because it is important that this side of the European project does not get lost in the institution-building and the huge concern about a common foreign and security policy and all the other issues.

Europe has been unique, at its best, in its capacity to link economic efficiency with a strong sense of the need to provide a sophisticated and humane system of social protection and guarantees. It is an example to the world, particularly to another huge economic power, in regard to the fact that it is possible to combine the two. We should not lose sight of this. Europe, in its capacity to be both economically innovative and socially just, is a shining example to the world about how one can do both.

I support Senator Henry's question on the rights of children. I was about to ask the Minister of State about this area, but I will not spend time on it now.

I cannot resist drawing an ironic distinction between our enthusiasm for openness and transparency abroad and what we are currently involved in here. It does not relate, incidentally, to the protection of Government, but to the instruments which are used to protect Government and which are capable of being used to protect an awful lot more.