Eugene Regan (Fine Gael)

He is an Independent Deputy. The basis of that request is to identify the constitutional implications of the Lisbon treaty. It will not be passed by the Oireachtas but by the people in a referendum. As constitutional issues are decided by the people, it is a ludicrous request in some respects and should be dismissed with the contempt it deserves. Senator O'Toole's point that no implication should be drawn from a refusal to entertain the request is well founded.

I wish to follow up on the Charter of Fundamental Rights and workers' rights raised by Senator O'Toole. This issue has featured in the referendum debate and there has been much misinformation on this point. Selective quotations from particular court cases such as Laval——