Kathryn Reilly (Sinn Fein)

The events unfolding in Europe are, together with the budget, a source of fear for people throughout the State. Agreements are currently being made between powerful European states and this week's Council summit will have a potentially long-lasting effect on the State. Last week the Taoiseach clearly stated his opposition to further treaty change, before the Tánaiste indicated that the Government is open to negotiation on treaty change. Where exactly does the Government stand on this matter? We must be told its position on enshrining budgetary policy into EU treaty law, giving the European Court of Justice a say in policing member states' budgets and the transfer of further fiscal powers from these Houses to the EU institutions. These are the key proposals which Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel will bring to the EU crisis summit on Friday. These are the demands they will make of member states.

Today we learn that the amendments they are seeking are proposed to be made by rewriting a protocol attached to the Lisbon treaty which sets out how Europe deals with countries which persistently breach budget guidelines. This is being seen as a back-door route to treaty change, as the protocol has the same legal effect as the treaty itself. What arrangements, if any, is the Leader putting in place to update this House on the summit? Will he invite the Minister of State with responsibility for European Affairs, Deputy Lucinda Creighton, to the Chamber in order to brief us on developments? I accept that we have a full legislative programme to fulfil before Christmas, but the speed and momentum of developments in Europe are such that a debate is required as soon as possible. It cannot wait until the next session when the issues will already have been settled.