Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to say a few words in the five minutes available to me. Like many colleagues, I welcomed the Government's decision some weeks ago to hold a referendum on the ratification of the treaty. At the time, one school of thought suggested the Government could proceed to ratify the treaty without holding a referendum. If the Government had taken such a decision, it would have been appealed to the Supreme Court where an adjudication would have taken place one way or another. Instead, it took the courageous and proper decision to allow the people to express their will by way of a vote. However, when one consults citizens on a possible constitutional amendment, it automatically imprints on their minds that the question being asked is substantial and the issue being addressed is one of major importance. In this case, however, the treaty is short and relatively modest in nature. As a result of offering the people an opportunity to vote, those on both sides of the argument are scrambling to come up with 50 good reasons to vote for or against the treaty.

I concur with the sentiments expressed by my friend and colleague, Senator Martin Conway, on the desirability of having the referendum passed. We can, however, be modest about its contents which are about housekeeping and ensuring governments here and elsewhere in Europe act in a financially sane manner. It allows us to take out a degree of insurance. The average, sensible citizen has car, household and health insurance and the treaty provides a degree of financial insurance for the future of the economy. This is one of the reasons I strongly support the referendum.

In the past 24 hours I have listened to a number of trade union representatives set out their reasons for opposing the treaty. We need to ensure maintaining jobs and creating new jobs are the Government's first and second priorities. For this reason, I am surprised and disappointed - to put it mildly - that any union is taking a negative view of good financial housekeeping and efforts to ensure a return to growth, stability and prosperity in the European Union. Politicians must do their jobs and union leaders must do theirs.

I hope modest language will be used in this debate. It is important that members of the public receive the required information in the near future. In recent referendum campaigns we had the undesirable scenario of households either not receiving the relevant information or receiving it at a late stage. Surely it will be possible to have a copy of the treaty and non-directive, balanced and reasonable supporting documentation issued to households in the coming week or thereabouts. I hope people will take time to study the treaty, as I would not like any voter to argue subsequently that he or she was not informed before voting. Providing information is the first requirement of the referendum campaign which should be focused on enhancing knowledge and disseminating information rather than having one side shouting down the other. Our job on this side of the House and for the majority of the other side should not be to browbeat people into voting "Yes", but to enthuse people on the basis that the treaty, modest and all as it may be, is good for Ireland and its economic position at this time, and that it should be supported. That is what I will be trying to do in my own inadequate way.

I would like to make one final point, which I made from the other side of the House during previous referenda. I am deeply disappointed that the referendum will be held on a Thursday. If we want to enthuse people and bring them with us, we should try to encourage every person to vote, and holding the referendum on a Thursday is not helpful in that respect. Other referenda will be held during the lifetime of this Government, and as a minimum degree of decency and good electoral practice, voting should take place at weekends. My preference is for a one and a half day voting period; be it a half day on Friday and all day Saturday, or all day Friday and half a day on Saturday. Democracy is a precious flower and we should not be concerned greatly whether it costs €400,000 or €800,000 to have a vote. We must try to make our voting system more accessible and more flexible. That is my one disappointment. Notwithstanding that, the date has been set and will not be changed now. It is in the interests of our country and our people to say "Yes" and to ensure that we continue to play a central role at the heart of Europe, and not in the ante-room, which is where a "No" vote would leave us for some time.