Ann Ormonde (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the statement made at the weekend by the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, indicating its overwhelming support for the Lisbon treaty. The IFA also declared its support for the treaty. Two major organisations, coming from different angles, have urged people to vote yes in the forthcoming referendum. This House should take a leadership role and have a debate on the referendum. We should discuss why people should vote yes and put forward the reasons, very cogently, from both an economic and consumer point of view. In 1996, for example, we exported €56 billion in goods and service to the other EU member states, compared to ten years previously, when the figure was only €36 billion.

I ask the Leader to arrange for a debate as soon as possible on the Lisbon treaty. We should take leadership on this issue and there is no better forum than Seanad Éireann to extol the virtues of a "Yes" vote in the forthcoming referendum.