Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State and congratulate him on his personal drive and enthusiasm in presenting the case for the Lisbon treaty, the charter we are debating and the broader European political project. The Minister of State has been in the House on many previous occasions and even his greatest opponents must concede that he has total commitment to the work of the EU and total belief that Ireland's interest is best served by being at the heart of Europe, playing a full and rightful role and not shouting from the sidelines.

I agree with the initial comments of Senator Doherty, that this debate should not involve name-calling or demonising. It should be a rational debate on the question before us, the Lisbon treaty, and the part of it we are debating here, the Charter of Fundamental Rights. There has been much talk about the fact that the question posed to the Irish people is a complicated one. It is not complicated or complex, it is technical and I have every confidence in the ability of the Irish electorate to understand, to digest and to make a decision. I hope the Irish people will vote for Ireland's continuing advancement and involvement in the EU by voting "Yes" on Thursday week.

The Charter of Fundamental Rights is a significantly important document. The previous speaker outlined that it does not change anything in one sense because the rights are already in place and the courts already refer to it. I do not disagree with that analysis but the Irish people, along with the parliaments of the other 26 countries, are taking a positive step by incorporating this charter into law as part of the Lisbon treaty with a "Yes" vote.

My first trip as a Member of the Oireachtas was in 1988 when I and a group of my colleagues from Fine Gael attended a meeting in the former West Germany. Part of our trip involved a visit to former East Berlin and former West Berlin. To see a city, a country and a Continent divided by a physical wall was a frightening recognition of the failure of politics and the despair and destruction caused by a Continent working apart rather than together. We must all concede that the European political project over the past 20 years has been phenomenally successful in uniting a city, a country and a Continent, and long may that continue.

If the European Union is responsible for nothing other than bringing together the people of Germany and Europe, east and west, it would be a magnificent achievement. That must be one of our political starting points but we must go further, work even harder together and co-operate together. The Lisbon treaty and the Charter of Fundamental Rights play a significant role in that regard.

The language of the charter is enthusiastic and wonderful. It refers to sharing a peaceful future based on common values and to the spiritual and moral heritage on which the Union was founded. It speaks of universal values, human dignity, freedom, equality and solidarity. It also speaks about strengthening the protection of fundamental rights in light of changes in society, social progress and scientific and technological developments. All of that paints a very positive picture of what the charter and the Lisbon treaty are about and about what the people must decide on Thursday week.

A significant amount of misinformation has been circulated, some of which was deliberate. It is important we keep addressing the facts and not the fantasy. When Article 1 refers to human dignity and Article 2 to the right to life, it is disappointing that some anti-Lisbon groups have so brazenly, unfairly and provocatively presented the treaty in such a negative and erroneous fashion. Surely there is nothing more important than human dignity and the right to life. A considerable number of decent people have been concerned about the issue of abortion but we can be assured that the pro-life position of the vast majority of the people is protected under the charter and treaty. The Lisbon treaty fully accepts the entitlement of the people to retain our pro-life amendments, and long may that continue.

I refer briefly to some of the articles of the charter, including the right to the integrity of the person, the right to marry and found a family, the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, respect for private and family life and the right to liberty and security. They are all fundamental and are protected and expanded under this charter. I cannot understand how anybody could oppose such developments.

I take great satisfaction from the references in the charter to the rights of the elderly. We debated the elderly earlier in the context of other legislation. I hope the specific reference to the rights of the elderly in the charter will give the elderly in Ireland and throughout the European Union a stronger role in the political life of the Union, greater rights and that our legislation on healthcare, nursing home care, etc., will be seen to respond to this right which is part of the charter.

We do not have sufficient time to debate the charter in detail but it is a splendid expression of all that is best about Europe, that is, the Continent which has come together after two World Wars and the spilling of the blood of tens of millions of people and which has decided that co-operation and not confrontation is the way forward. That is summed up in this charter and in the Lisbon treaty.

It is so important the people to say "Yes" on Thursday week and that Ireland continues not only to play a role but to lead the political process, thinking and co-operation in Europe. Of all that has happened since we gained our freedom, we can be proud of our involvement in the European Union. Like Robert Emmet's epitaph, we talk about Ireland taking its place among the nations of the earth but we have only truly done so since we joined the European Union, and long may that continue.