Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein)

Tá mé tar éis éisteacht go cúramach ar feadh dhá uair go leith le díospóireacht ar son an reifrinn, agus fáiltím roimh an chúig nóiméad atá agam le labhairt ina choinne. Deineadh cuid mhaith cainte ar thírghrá agus mar sin de. Tá mé chun a bheith an-soiléir ó thaobh pholasaí Shinn Féin de, mar sin bíodh Seanadóirí ag éisteacht. Dúirt cuid acu nár chuala siad na hargóintí ar an dtaobh eile.

Tá Sinn Féin in gcoinne an chonartha ar chúig chúis, go bunúsach. A haon, ní chreidimid go n-oibreoidh sé. A dó, creidimid go gcuirfidh sé níos mó déine i bhfeidhm sa tír. Chomh maith leis sin, creidimid go gcaillfimid ár bhflaitheas polaitiúil agus ár bhflaitheas dlíthiúil agus go bhfuil an conradh docht daingean agus nach bhfuil aon éalú as.

My esteemed colleagues from County Galway, Senators Mullen and Higgins, and others have talked about patriotism and national pride. I remind them that we are not steering away from that in Sinn Féin. We agree with them. I would like to quote a number of other patriots who would agree with us. Many Senators were at Easter celebrations. The Proclamation states: "We declare the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland, and to the unfettered control of Irish destinies, to be sovereign and indefeasible" Pádraig Pearse wrote: "A nation can bind itself by treaty to do or forego specific things ... but no treaty which places a nation's body and soul in the power of another nation, no treaty which abnegates the nation's nationhood is binding on the nation any more than a contract of perpetual slavery is binding on an individual." That is the tone of patriotism we need to take.

One would think, based on the debate so far, that Sinn Féin members are the only people in the world opposed to the treaty which is completely untrue. I will not get drawn into barracking as I only have five minutes.