Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-06-18-Speech-3-013"
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"en.20080618.2.3-013"2
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"Madam President, I should like to thank the President-in-Office, the President of the Commission and my colleagues for their contributions so far.
Allow us to move forward. The European project is one worth saving. It is not just about peace or prosperity, it is about solidarity. Many years ago Sean O’Casey, the Irish poet, wrote in
: ‘I ofen looked up at the sky an’ assed meself the question – what is the moon, what is the stars?’ Maybe today we have to ask ourselves a question for this generation: what does the European Union actually mean and where do we want it go?
Obviously, what has occurred was not anticipated. The ‘no’ vote in Ireland represents a sea-change with regard to the opinion of one set of voters within the European Union towards the European Union project. Because of the diversity of those who opposed this Treaty in the referendum in Ireland, because of the different viewpoints – both politically and ideologically opposite to each other on many occasions – it is difficult to extrapolate from that exactly why the people voted ‘no’.
What we have requested is that we be given time to look at and analyse those results, to find ways to move forward and what can be done. Because this – even people on the ‘no’ side claim – was not a vote against Europe, despite the fact that some on the ‘no’ side have voted ‘no’ on every single European referendum since Ireland first acceded in 1972. But they claim that this is not a vote against Europe. Likewise, they claim this is not a way of reducing what Europe does. But their big slogan during the campaign was ‘vote “no” for a stronger Europe’. Maybe now those on the ‘no’ side could come forward and tell us what kind of stronger Europe they want to see happening, what solutions they wish to bring forward as regards how we move forward in dealing with the global challenges and difficulties that face us.
Today in Brussels we have farmers and hauliers protesting at the high price of fuel. This time last year a barrel of oil cost USD 48; today it is USD 140. This time last year the price of food in Haiti was affordable for even the poorest people; today there are riots in the streets of Haiti because of the shortage of food and the difficulties this creates. These are the challenges that we must respond to at a European level; these are the difficulties that we must tackle.
Let us not forget the world is not going to collapse. We have been here before: both the French and the Dutch said ‘no’ to a previous treaty and a mechanism was found to organise and advance the European project.
This is not a time for recrimination or finger-pointing. However, despite what some of the protesters within this Chamber may think, this is a time for respect: not just respect for the Irish voters, who gave their democratic opinion with regard to this Treaty, but respect for the other countries and their individual rights on how they operate and how they ratify a treaty. It is not up to us to dictate to anybody what advances can and cannot be made.
I say to those who wear T-shirts inside this House that not only do they disrespect this House and the Members of this House, but they in no way stand for or represent the Irish people or the Irish nation.
I want to make it clear that those same flag-wavers over here on my left, those same people who claim to defend the rights of Irish people were the same people who appeared on Irish television celebrating a ‘no’ vote in Ireland in a pub in Brussels. Of course drink was consumed, but what respect do they have for the Irish people and the Irish flag that they use the Irish flag as a tablecloth to put their drinks on? That is what this group represents; that is the kind of disrespect they have for the people."@en1
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"Juno and the Paycock"1
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