Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister of State and his staff. I commend him on a well thought-out and comprehensive speech which brought us through today's proceedings in the Dáil, including the speeches made by the Taoiseach and the Leader of the Opposition. This debate is a very worthwhile exercise. I commend Senator Alex White on his thoughtful contribution. I am sorry he did not have more airtime to put the views he expressed to the public because they deserve to be heard. I also commend Senator Donohoe, the Chairman of the sub-committee which produced the report. It was an honour for him and this House that a Senator chaired the sub-committee. The Vice Chairman was Deputy Dooley. It is unusual for a new Senator to have his report debated by both Houses of the Oireachtas on the one day. I know that the Taoiseach attended the Lower House specially to contribute to the debate. Senators Doherty and Mullen also made a major contribution to the debate at the sub-committee, thus making it more inclusive. No views were excluded from the discussions.

We appear to be making progress in finding a way forward for Ireland in the aftermath of the rejection of the Lisbon treaty by the electorate. The President of the Commission, José Manuel Barroso, said today he was convinced that the European Council meeting on Thursday and Friday could respond to Ireland's national concerns, while finding a European solution. I heard his speech tonight on the European television service and was impressed by his openness. It is a tribute to the work of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Taoiseach who have travelled widely in recent weeks to put their views to their European counterparts. It appears almost certain that legally binding assurances will be negotiated to address these national concerns before the treaty is put to the electorate again in another referendum. In the light of these facts, the report of the Sub-Committee on Ireland's Future in the European Union is of vital importance in two ways. First, it identifies the issues on which the people would like assurances from the European Union and other member states. The sub-committee heard submissions from many stakeholders and experts and the recommendations in the report will be of significant use to the Taoiseach at the European Council meeting this week, as well as to our European diplomats and everyone involved in the discussions in the coming weeks.

The primary concerns appear to be maintaining control over direct taxation policy and that the State's role in the provision of public services should continue to be a matter for each individual member state, as should policies in areas of social and ethical sensitivity. The sub-committee also concluded that, while it seems that the purpose of the Commission is sometimes misunderstood, it appears that having a Commissioner nominated by the Government is a matter of national sensitivity. It is also clear that the people have great pride in Ireland's traditional policy of military neutrality and, therefore, it needs to be protected.

I was not particularly happy with one aspect of the treaty, namely, our loss of a Commissioner for five of every 15 years. This would have been too long, whereas expanding the Commission to comprise 27 Commissioners is reasonable and workable. When I was canvassing, I found this to be a considerable issue. The recommendations of the sub-committee on these matters are the result of in-depth discussions with a broad range of interested parties and must be given great weight in the coming weeks and months.

The sub-committee's establishment was worthwhile and owes much to its effective chairmanship. Given how many people were invited to contribute, the television broadcasts were also worthwhile. The hearings of the sub-committee addressed some of the exaggerations, misrepresentations, half truths and untruths that were all too prominent during the Lisbon treaty campaign. I hope that putting on record and distributing the expert opinions heard by the sub-committee will serve to ensure that the next campaign, which I am sure will occur, is based on issues and not unjustified scaremongering.

The report concludes: "It is the view of the Sub-Committee that European matters do not play as prominent a role as they should in Irish politics, media or public discourse." This is undoubtedly a reason for the confusion that reigned about some issues in the last campaign. As public representatives, we can all do our bit to ensure that the EU is given more coverage, which can only occur by allocating more time to discussing EU proposals in the Houses. The report recommends that both Houses, as well as the relevant committees, should play a much greater role in the scrutiny of EU policy.

I am a member of the Joint Committee on European Scrutiny, which is chaired by Deputy Perry and scrutinises all European legislation to a certain degree. Indeed, all Oireachtas committees study and scrutinise that legislation. Under the Lisbon reform treaty, however, the Oireachtas would have had greater involvement in and control over European legislation. For this reason, the treaty's rejection in June was a blow to democracy.

I am also convinced that a referendum must and will be held. Due to the current crisis in the pigmeat sector, we are looking to Europe for financial support. However, our currency has been tarnished, our strength weakened and our position lessened in the EU. As a member of the Council of Europe, I regularly meet many members from other European states.