John Bruton (Meath, Fine Gael)

That is what I would prefer. I would far prefer the proposals put forward by the Minister of State, Deputy Roche, on behalf of the Government, to any of the other alternatives. If I cannot get what I would like, the proposals of the Government are the next best thing. At least the Government's proposals leave the door open ultimately to popular election, whereas the proposals being promoted by the European Parliament, to my mind at least, have this fault of ultimately ensuring that these decisions will be made within a closed elite circle in Brussels and Strasbourg rather than by the people.

Part of the problem for Europe is that some of the most politically interesting decisions in Europe are taken, not at political level but at administrative level. For example, while it may be politicians in the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament who will decide on the broad legislative principles governing the safety and efficacy of drugs – a boring and abstract subject – the really interesting decision on whether, for example, to allow Viagra to be marketed was taken in some management committee.