European elections 'should be held on the basis of Lisbon Treaty provisions'

SEANAD REPORT:THE GOVERNMENT should take steps to ensure that next year's European Parliament elections be held on the basis of the relevant Lisbon Treaty provisions, Fine Gael justice spokesman Eugene Regan urged.

He noted that The Irish Times had yesterday reported the strong views of a Spanish MEP about the difficulties that the Irish rejection of the treaty had caused for the European Parliament.

Whether the MEP was correct or not in calling for the resignation of the Taoiseach, what he had said was a symptom of the change from an understanding of the Irish position in terms of the rejection, to an anger, particularly with regard to the 2009 elections which, as matters stood, would be based on the Nice Treaty. Because of this, 12 EU states would be affected, and Spain stood to loose four MEPs. This meant that we had alienated a dozen member states.

Mr Regan added that the institutional arrangements in relation to the European Parliament had never been an issue in the Irish referendum. "I don't believe any constitutional issue arises here. I do think it is a problem that we have created." He did not think there was any objection to the European Parliament elections being held on the basis of a change in the number of MEPs, as envisaged by Lisbon, and he thought it was incumbent on the Government to contribute to a solution to this immediate problem.

"We have an immediate problem, and that is the alienation of a lot of people in Europe in relation to the effect it will have on the European Parliament elections. I do think that Ireland should come up with a proposal as to how that can be resolved . . . We have an interest in having good relations with the European Parliament and, indeed, in fostering good relations throughout Europe."

David Norris (Ind) said he was amazed to hear a very distinguished lawyer suggesting the flouting of a treaty and also saying that our democratic vote in Ireland had alienated huge numbers of people in Europe.

"No, it didn't," said Mr Norris. "It alienated a lot of senior politicians, but the people of Europe were very pleased with what we did here in Ireland, and I think they were right to be so."