Feargal Quinn (Independent)

I also welcome the delegation from Algeria with whom I have had the opportunity to join today. Je souhaite la bienvenue aux membres de la délégation algérienne. C'est la première fois qu'ils nous rendent visite ici. Je veux souhaiter la bienvenue À tout le monde. This is a useful debate and I am delighted the Minister of State, Deputy Roche, is present. I have found the debate of considerable interest to me.

I have reserved my position. Today groups arguing for a "no" vote came before the Joint Committee on European Affairs. I was disappointed to discover that at least one of them, Libertas, refused to come, and I do not know why. They also refused to come to the Forum on Europe the other day as well. I am just surprised at this from somebody who is voting "no".

I made it clear that I still have an open mind. I want to hear the arguments for and against, and that is why it is so logical to have a good debate. I was delighted to hear the Minister of State, Deputy Roche, state that we must avoid threats, abuse and language that has been used sometimes in the past few weeks.

Today's debate at the Joint Committee on European Affairs was useful. Three different delegations came in and spoke. One of them, Mr. Roger Cole from the Peace and Neutrality Alliance, spoke about the concern for neutrality. I was reminded of my son in law. I have five children — two girls and three boys. We sent them all to France to school before they were 14 because somebody said that if one learns a language before one is 14, it is possible to speak it without accent. The two girls promptly fell in love with Frenchmen at the age of 14 and are now both married to Frenchmen. The family home of one of those Frenchmen, Nicolas de Schonen, where they now live, is in Soissons, about 80 km north-east of Paris. It was damaged severely in 1870 when the Germans decided to visit Paris. They stopped there, there was a battle there and the house was destroyed. It was rebuilt a few years later. In 1914, the Germans again decided to visit Paris and again the house was destroyed, and from the war reparations it was rebuilt. In 1940, the Germans made it their headquarters and the Americans bombed the house. This is to give the House some idea of what happened. We in Ireland are inclined to forget that in those years three wars took place and since 1945 there has not been anything like such a European war. On that entire area of neutrality and of the belief that we can keep peace, we must give credit to the European movement.

Mr. Roger Cole spoke of his concern about collective self-defence which is included in this reform treaty. Collective self-defence is exactly what we need. It seems so important. If we in Ireland were ever attacked, I would like to think our colleagues in Europe would come to help us.

Mr. Kieran Allen represented a different group and I was pleased to hear his view. One of his concerns was the quotation in the debate that the treaty includes "a system ensuring that competition is not distorted". I queried this, asking that surely he did not want competition that is distorted and it turned out he did. That opened my eyes. I find being able to query and ask questions of those who are opposed and those who are in favour is useful.

I was concerned about something reported today in the newspaper in connection with the French view on taxation. It was a quote from later in that article or elsewhere. It seems there was some sort of agreement in Europe not to bring up contentious issues until the Irish have had their referendum. I would be glad to hear the Minister of State on this matter. Is this possible? Is there a behind-the-scene call asking those who want to make changes in Europe not to raise them because they will only concern the Irish and the treaty might be rejected?