Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 153: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps he has taken to prepare for a successful adoption of the Lisbon Treaty; his plans, in the event of failure to do so, to address the issues arising therefrom of a social, political and economic nature; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16117/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I would refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 15 of today.

As the Deputy will be aware, for the Treaty of Lisbon to enter into force, it must be ratified by all Member States. Ireland is currently one of four Member States that has not done so as yet. The others are the Czech Republic, Poland and Germany.

Following the agreement of our EU partners to offer Ireland legal guarantees and other assurances in a number of areas of concern to the Irish people, the Government's energies are now directed towards giving effect to that commitment. It is expected that this work will be completed by mid-2009. If the Government is fully satisfied with the outcome, as I expect that we will be, we are committed to seeking ratification of the Lisbon Treaty by the end of the term of the current European Commission, which is due to leave office at the end of October. That means seeking the approval of the people in a referendum.

It is not helpful to speculate on the outcome of a referendum that has not yet been called. However, as recent events have underscored, the European Union is a key vehicle for the promotion and protection of Ireland's national interest. The Government firmly believes that ratification by Ireland of the Treaty of Lisbon would send a strong signal to our EU partners, and to the wider world, of our determination to remain at the heart of that enterprise.