Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-05-06-Speech-3-458"
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"en.20090506.41.3-458"2
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"Mr President, it remains for me to be the last on the speakers’ list for the European People’s Party/European Democrats this evening, and as an Irish MEP I suppose there is some rationale to that.
For the Treaty to enter into force, of course, all countries must ratify the Treaty, and, yes it is correct to say that 26 European parliaments – 26 Member State parliaments – have said ‘yes’, and so far the Irish are the only ones yet to do so.
I fully accept that Parliament would wish to examine the issues raised in these papers and these reports in the fullest manner possible, without any interference in or pre-emption of the outstanding ratification procedure.
Can I say that I object to the opportunistic bleating of a few Eurosceptic fossils in our back benches, and what they say should be recognised for what it is. My message to them is clear: butt out of an Irish sovereign decision, because nobody will tell the Irish electors what to do.
May I thank you, as this is my last contribution in Parliament, and all the Presidency of Parliament, the Commission, the Czech Presidency and all colleagues for what has been an extremely rewarding 10 years for me as a Member of the European Parliament. I look forward to a ‘yes’ vote from the Irish people in our second referendum in October.
Could I thank, first of all, all the rapporteurs of the five reports. I am delighted that we have the opportunity to discuss them and, like other Irish colleagues, I have been requesting, through my political group, that we arrive at the situation we have here tonight where we can discuss five most important reports.
At the outset, may I make it quite clear that what I say on this debate tonight is fully predicated in my next sentence. It would not be appropriate, nor is it intended to anticipate in any way or take for granted the decision of the Irish people in the forthcoming second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, which was announced only earlier this week by our Taoiseach Brian Cowan TD.
The conclusions of last December’s European Council contain a package of measures that arose from research following our referendum last June: measures to respond to the concerns of the Irish ‘no’ voters as they were outlined by our Taoiseach to the Council meeting last December, along with a road map to enable the Treaty to enter into force by the end of 2009.
This package includes the retention of the principle of one Commissioner per Member State, confirmation of the importance the Union attaches to workers’ rights and other social issues, and a series of legal guarantees on taxation neutrality and the provisions of the Irish constitution in relation to the right to life, education and the family.
At the spring European Council our Taoiseach informed partners that, in accordance with the timeline agreed in December, detailed work is now under way to give effect to these commitments and should be finished by mid-2009.
If our Government is fully satisfied with the outcome, the Taoiseach has agreed to seek ratification of the Treaty by the end of the term of the current Commission, which is expected to leave office, I understand, at the end of October. I sincerely hope the promise of an early autumn referendum will mean early October at the very latest.
And, given the increase in the European Parliament’s powers envisaged in the Treaty of Lisbon, it is understandable that its Members should consider the institutional and procedural implications of the Treaty, hence tonight’s debate on the five reports.
The European Parliament’s consideration of these issues tonight takes place at a time when my script for tonight said four Member States – Ireland, the Czech Republic, Germany and Poland – had yet to complete their ratification process. Technically that is true, but my congratulations this evening to the Czech Republic – to the Czech Senate particularly – for their Parliament’s complete approval to allow, hopefully, their President to ratify the Treaty on behalf of the Czech people. I trust he will accept the will of their Parliament. I understand it has been referred to a judicial review. I hope that is only a technical delay."@en1
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