Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

I urge that the Seanad approve the motions to expand the membership of the Select Committee on European Affairs and to establish a sub-committee on Ireland's future in the European Union.

The sub-committee is being tasked by the Houses of the Oireachtas to analyse the challenges facing Ireland in the European Union following the Lisbon treaty referendum result and to make recommendations to enhance the role of the Houses of the Oireachtas in European Union affairs. It will also examine ways in which we can improve public understanding of the European Union and its fundamental importance for Ireland's future. The sub-committee represents a vital element of our work to find a way forward after the Lisbon treaty referendum. It represents a new departure for the Oireachtas. We are creating a new inclusive process to analyse the challenges now facing Ireland in the Union and to report by the end of November. This crucial debate will be open and transparent. The debate will be also widely available to the public thanks to the media facilities in these Houses. I am grateful to Members for agreeing to work in an innovative way on the single, biggest foreign policy challenge we have had in the 35 years of membership of the European Union. By agreeing to step up to this task I hope we will leave behind the division of the campaign itself. There is nothing to be gained from re-fighting a referendum campaign that is over.

I hope we are deciding to look ahead and not to idle in the past. I hope too that people will recognise that respecting the sovereign will of the people means we have to understand fully the implications of that decision for Ireland's influence and standing internationally. We have shown that we are best when we work together and innovate to find solutions for the country. The committee can start its deliberations from a positive place. The results of the recent research into Irish people's attitudes to the EU show that we want Ireland to continue to be fully involved in the Union. A total of 70% of us agree that membership is a good thing, while only 8% disagree. I believe this is a strong and positive reflection of the intent of the Irish people.

The importance of the work of the sub-committee should not be underestimated. We cannot assume that our standing in the Union remains unchanged by the referendum result, because that is not the case. Nor should we believe the result has gone unnoticed in the wider world, especially in the international investment community because, again, that is not the case. We cannot delude ourselves that somehow or other the position we are in is a good one or is cost free. The task ahead is a serious one with far-reaching consequences. It demands that we undertake reasoned and considered deliberations. Ultimately, we must come together to chart a map that is best for us as a nation.

We also must be acutely aware of the widespread benefits European Union membership has brought to Ireland. At its most fundamental, I believe that in the 35 years since we joined the Union, our sovereignty has developed and strengthened. I asked members of an Oireachtas committee earlier today to consider the situation when the eurozone did not exist, when we had the benefit of our monetary sovereignty being tied to London. We had to wait for a telephone call from the Treasury to find out where we were going. Our economic independence has been greatly enhanced by European Union membership, with wider export markets and greater inward investment opportunities. Membership has been hugely beneficial to our agricultural sector and to rural Ireland. Across the board, therefore, in the economic, social and political fields, European Union membership has been fundamentally good for all our citizens. In short, the vibrant Irish society we have today would be unthinkable without our central involvement in the European Union.

We want to address the concerns expressed by the Irish people at the ballot box on 12 June. We will work here in Ireland and with our European Union partners to arrive at a fair, balanced and meaningful solution. There are many themes and issues to be addressed that were raised during the debate leading to the referendum and which have been debated since, for example, economic issues, social and moral issues, political issues, neutrality and the European Commission. The work of the sub-committee can make a real contribution in pointing the way forward for Ireland in Europe. We want to be at the heart of the European Union in order that our membership can continue to anchor our prosperity and advance our interests in a complex and rapidly changing world.

Since we voted on 12 June, 12 countries have ratified the Lisbon treaty. It is likely that by the end of this year at least 25, if not all 26, other member states will have done so. Will will find ourselves at that stage in an uncomfortable position. We must chart the way ahead in unison. This job lies not only with those who advocated a "Yes" vote, but also those who advocated a "No" vote. I believe we all had one objective in the referendum campaign, namely, what we believe to be best for the country. It is, therefore, important we work together. The sub-committee provides the opportunity to do this in a constructive, thoughtful way which mutually respects points of view and which will produce the best solution for the people.