A provision which has been in the treaty since the early 1970s, in the Treaty of Rome and now in the Irish Constitution, effectively states that anything that is part of European competence will automatically override Irish law. This has suddenly become controversial and it is symptomatic of a loss of confidence. Those of us who have always believed in the project are reluctant to make the argument any more. Senator Bradford emphasised phrases such as "fully-fledged independent states" and "loss of sovereignty". Being part of the European Union involves a loss and a pooling of sovereignty. This is essential for the working of the Union. The sharing of sovereignty is decided as a matter of policy in certain areas. I acknowledge that the Government is not saying that we are all entirely independent and that we have a veto over everything. I regret that there has been an element of serious backsliding in what has been this country's long-held position. I am not afraid of the word "federal" and the ever closer Union formulation. I am not particularly afraid of the united states of Europe formulation. I have almost always endorsed the manner in which the European Union has operated its social and environmental policy and the limited extent to which its foreign policy has dealt with issues such as the Middle East. I would like to see QMV extended into other areas.