Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State back to the House. He has had a very busy schedule in recent days. He attended the European scrutiny committee; he was in the Czech Republic; he was in this House; and he is back in this House again. We also hear him on the airwaves. The Minister of State is doing a great job in respect of this treaty.

I have some questions about the Bill, one of which is about the name of the Bill and the language that is used. The majority of people do not understand what is meant by the Lisbon treaty or the Nice treaty. Different language should have been used in describing those treaties. Perhaps it should be called a more power to the parliament treaty, which is what this Bill is about, or the people's treaty because it is about people. It is not about Lisbon but people do not understand that the treaty was agreed in Lisbon. Naming it differently might mean more to people in putting forward the treaty.

In the Minister's contribution he referred to the use of the general passerelle provision in the treaty. Is that a new word in the dictionary? Is it a country, a town or the name of a person? I had never heard the word previously.