Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail)

I gave examples of embassies. There have been problems with diplomatic immunity during the years when bad people, including drug traffickers and terrorists, claimed immunity. The system does not always work perfectly. Immunity in the context in question, however, is relatively common. The purpose is to allow people to get on with their jobs. The reality is that if an individual country could decide to pit its police force or civil service against the ESM, it could wreck the whole system. It would be a way of breaching one's obligations. The arrangement is sensible, although I would prefer if there were a criminal law mechanism at a super-national level to cover people. There is a gap in this regard if there is no such mechanism.

We are reduced to conspiracy theories in this debate. The provision in question is commonplace and not new in regard to the ESM. There are far more important matters to be debated.