Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

Amendment No. 1 is grouped with amendment No. 8. This amendment is necessary to clarify the protocol on the accession of the European Community to the European Convention. It is not an amendment to the European Convention.

Amendment No. 8 was proposed in the Dáil by Deputy Shortall and accepted by me as it is considered prudent to include the text of the EU protocol as a Schedule to the Bill. Ireland will be required to provide separate instruments of ratification for the revised convention and the EU accession protocol.