Minister Martin welcomes publication of Lisbon Treaty Referendum bill

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Minister Martin welcomes publication of Lisbon Treaty Referendum bill

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin T.D., has welcomed the publication today of the 28th Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty of Lisbon) Bill 2009 which, he said, is designed to give significant additional powers to the Oireachtas in the conduct of EU affairs. The Bill contains the text of the amendment which the people will be asked to approve in a referendum in the autumn.

The Minister said that:

"The text of the proposed amendment contains a clear constitutional expression of Ireland’s commitment to the shared values of the Union, namely peace and the well-being of the people. This reflects our highly positive experience of EU membership stretching back to 1973.

The amendment will enable Ireland to ratify the Lisbon Treaty. It sets out clearly the areas in which the prior approval of both Houses of the Oireachtas will be required for certain discretionary measures provided for in the Treaty. This move is in keeping with a key feature of the treaty, which will give increased powers to national parliaments in the EU law-making process. These new arrangements will further enhance the democratic legitimacy of the Union.

The decision to publish the Bill follows the Government’s success in securing legally-binding guarantees on issues of concern which surfaced during last year’s campaign. The guarantees on taxation, on the protection of the right to life, the family and education and on Ireland’s traditional policy of military neutrality will become legally binding as soon as the Treaty enters into force. They will subsequently be attached to the EU Treaties in the form of a Protocol. The Minister said that "the new Lisbon Treaty package negotiated by the Government, which also includes the retention of an Irish Commissioner and a Solemn Declaration on workers’ rights, I believe addresses the concerns of the Irish people in a positive, comprehensive and convincing fashion. The Bill published today also restates the prohibition on Ireland joining any EU common defence arrangement."

Note for the editor

The 28th Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty of Lisbon) Bill 2009 will be debated in Dáil Ėireann on Wednesday, 8 July and in Seanad Ėireann on Thursday, 9 July. The full text of the Bill is attached. A White Paper on the Lisbon Treaty will be published on Wednesday, 8 July. Full details of the Lisbon Treaty, the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Ireland’s legally-binding guarantees are available at www.lisbontreaty.ie

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6 July 2009

Press Office