David Norris (Independent)

I very much welcome that this House has responded so immediately to the situation after the referendum on the Lisbon treaty and I congratulate the Leader on taking this action. I had actually submitted a Standing Order 30 motion that this was a matter of urgent national importance but I have withdrawn it in light of this welcome move.

We are in a remarkable situation. I, for the first time, voted and spoke against the treaty. I did so because of the insulting way in which people like Mr. Giscard d'Estaing made it clear that the treaty and its language were deliberately obfuscated to sell a pup to an ignorant Irish electorate who would do what they were told by their electoral masters. That is a rough translation of what he said. Then, there was the performance of our own leaders, which was regrettable, saying they had not read the treaty and that one would be foolish to try. At least Senator Regan read the treaty. I think he brought it in every day and gave us a lecture about it, but at least he stuck to his guns and he appeared to know what he was talking about.

Senator Fitzgerald referred to a two-speed Europe possibly developing. The two-speed Europe is already here. There is the speed at which the megalocrats in Europe want to drive the institutions and the speed which the general population of Europe want — the Irish people are by no means alone in this.