Rónán Mullen (Independent)

I was not jumping to conclusions but nonetheless it may prove to be a very interesting debate and quite a few amendments have been tabled.

I agree with my colleague, Senator Quinn, with regard to holding a referendum. Regarding this decision, "If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well It were done quickly". There is a need for speed because the longer this goes on the greater will be the perception that somehow politics is being played with this issue and that the Government is wondering whether it can secure the necessary support to pass it.

There must be a presumption in favour of consulting the people. I do not like to see reports of sources stating there is some confidence in Dublin that the pact may not necessitate a vote. It should not be a matter for exciting confidence or optimism that people feel we will not need a referendum on this. We should never devalue the idea of consulting the people in a referendum.

There is a difference between "the State may ratify" and "the State must ratify". We can contemplate a referendum being required by the terms agreed by the leaders of the various member states, which would require it to be written in stone to such a degree that our Constitution would need to mandate the Government to ratify the treaty and not deviate from it in future. I am not very comfortable with this idea, but it is something of a lesser order that the Government would nonetheless see fit to consult the people to ask whether it may ratify the treaty. There is always something very healthy about this. I am not saying we should have referenda just for the sake of holding them but these are serious issues. We are about to make a very big decision that will impact on our ability to structure our budgets and manage our financial affairs into the future. For that reason I hope for a speedy decision and for a presumption in favour of having a referendum.