Déirdre de Búrca (Green Party)

A great deal of debate is taking place at present regarding the European reform treaty. I welcome the coverage in the media today which suggests that the Government is willing to back Pat Cox, former President of the European Parliament, as the chair of a group to which President Nicolas Sarkozy referred as a council of wise men on the future of Europe. However, I ask the Leader to convey a number of concerns I have about this matter to the Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, Deputy Roche.

One of the concerns to which I refer relates to the fact that we are referring to a group of wise men. The idea that a small group of men in suits might decide the future of Europe smacks of elitism and it is a far cry from the gender and other equality policies the European Union has advocated for so long. I ask that the Leader convey to the Minister of State the fact that Ireland and its Government should clearly seek balanced gender representation on any council debating and discussing the future of the European Union.

We should also convey our concerns regarding the potentially elitist nature of this process of deliberation on the future of the European Union. Why should a small group of experienced politicians decide the future of Europe in the absence of meaningful consultation with its citizens? The purpose of the reform treaty is to improve matters and bring citizens closer to the European Union. This process will not do any such thing unless parallel processes that actively involve the national Parliaments and civil societies of each of the member states are built in. Will the Leader convey my concerns to the Minister of State, Deputy Roche, and request that the Government raise the points I have made with the Council of Ministers in order that there might be a more balanced gender representation on the group to which I refer and also that there might be more involvement on the part of citizens in any deliberations on the future of the European Union?