John Bruton (Meath, Fine Gael)

If this is to be the basis of a constitution that is to last for 30 or 50 years as Giscard d'Estaing says, why not do it now? What is the point of complaining in five years' time that the people are not interested if they have not been given the opportunity to have a say? While I do not think the proposal of the Government is perfect, I am attracted to it because it leaves the door open. If this office is handed over to the European Parliament it will never give it up. While they dress this up as being in the European interest, the Commission, Parliament and Council are seeking more influence for themselves.

With regard to Senator Brian Hayes's last point, the President of the European Parliament was being a trifle poetic in saying that he thought the European bill of rights could be put on a school wall alongside the Irish bill of rights. It would take me too long to explain why it is not likely to be as simple as that. It will not work out quite that well. However, we will get a little nearer to it than we are at present.