Ms Doyle, MEP:

I thank the Leader for inviting us here today and for her hospitality. I also thank the Irish Presidency of last year for a job very well done. This constitutional treaty, which is like a second Treaty of Rome, was signed last October. The Single European Act in 1986 set the stage for an ever closer Union, which was envisaged by the signatories of the first Treaty of Rome in 1957. This was followed by the treaties of Maastricht, Amsterdam and Nice, paving the way for the enlargement of Europe that we have today.

Ms Doyle, MEP:

Since our accession to the EEC in 1973, we have undergone profound social and economic changes. Any independent analysis of the impact of the European project on Ireland will show we have prospered economically. We have become a confident and psychologically independent nation only since we joined Europe and were weaned off our dependence on Britain, which still continues to be a very important trading partner. In 1973, the UK absorbed 75% of our exports yet 30 years and a single market later, we now send approximately 25% of our produce there. Britain is still an important trading partner, but in a completely different proportion. Access to the European market has arguably been the single most important factor in our economic growth and in our attitudinal development as a psychologically independent nation. In areas where member states have seen fit to co-operate on a European level, we have also seen the benefits of membership of this unique European community of nations. In social and environmental policy, as well as justice and home affairs, we have seen the direct benefits of membership of Europe in all our daily lives.

Ms Doyle, MEP:

However, these achievements do not take account of the original and most important impetus underpinning European integration. That is the determination never to allow a repeat of the great slaughters of the last century which wiped out over 60 million European men, women and children in the trenches of disease and of hunger. Peace and stability are the cornerstones of this European project. From six original members, the Union now has 25, soon to be 27 with the signing of an accession treaty by Bulgaria and Romania only last month.

Ms Doyle, MEP:

One of the greatest emotional scares is to claim that this treaty will push us into a superstate. Can I try to help others to put that to rest? Those fears are totally unfounded. I would never promote a "Yes" vote for a constitutional treaty that would begin to produce a superstate as its end product. It is not a superstate because there are no rights to raise taxes autonomously, no right to run a budget deficit as any state can, no right to raise a military force, no right to act outside the competences given to it by the member states, and no right to spend more than 1% of the combined gross national income of all member states. National governments spend approximately 40% of gross national income and we are proposing a body that will have access to slightly more than 1% of gross national income. It is not a superstate because it has no right to dictate whether a member state can leave. The treaty provides an exit clause for member states to withdraw and for the first time, member states can exit if they so wish. This is decidedly not a federal measure. Conversely, there will be no tolerance for rogue states within the Union. Should any member state consistently violate EU values, it will be possible to eject them from Europe in extreme cases.

Ms Doyle, MEP:

Co-decision between the Council and the Parliament with qualified majority voting — where 55% of member states represent 65% of European citizens — will be extended under the constitutional treaty. This is the most democratic decision making process and is necessary to achieve consensus in an enlarged Europe. Far from undermining sovereignty, this reinforces democratic accountability by conferring powers on the directly elected European Parliament and not just on the Council of Ministers. A third guarantee of sovereignty is the involvement of national parliaments. The revelation of what goes on behind closed doors in the Council of Ministers is also a very important part in creating transparency.

Ms Doyle, MEP:

There have been many scaremongers on defence issues. There was a recent statement by Sinn Féin that the ratification of the constitution will result in increased spending on weaponry and increased militarisation. I will not go into the glaring hypocrisy of such a statement, but it is factually incorrect. Defence remains entirely a national issue, with all member states retaining full power to decide how they wish to be involved. Ireland's triple lock will not be compromised by this treaty, although I agree with the reservations of Senator Mooney and we should be ashamed of the Macedonian example. I agree with the views of Gay Mitchell on neutrality, but the treaty itself does not purport to change our so-called position on neutrality. Due to the difficulty in explaining exactly what the treaty does, we must careful in how we enter this debate.

Ms Doyle, MEP:

Europe has reached a threshold which it must cross. Several decades of building Europe have resulted in a proliferation of treaties that can no longer be understood or accessed easily by citizens. Decisions are not made in the constitutional treaty but it facilitates EU governments and elected representatives to make informed decisions for which they must be accountable to EU citizens and social partners. The treaty does not take away any rights we already enjoy as Irish citizens but provides additional safeguards to protect our individual freedoms. Most important, the treaty lets us know our rights and responsibilities. It will not supersede the Irish Constitution which will continue to be the basic legal document of the State. It will provide the framework rather than the content of EU policy which will continue to be decided by policy makers at national level.