In respect of common defence, the draft treaty articles propose that this should be a more explicit objective of the envisaged common foreign and defence policy. However, the important safeguards are retained. What is also explicit is that a decision to move at some stage in the future to a common defence would still continue to be a matter for the European Council, acting unanimously and in accordance with member states' constitutional requirements. I emphasise that point because I do not want this debate to be misrepresented to suggest that we are somehow abandoning protections. I reiterate that, in accordance with the amendment to the Constitution, approved by the people in a referendum in October of last year, Ireland cannot adopt a common defence where that common defence would include the State.