By Francesca Ross - 5th May 2009
Irish MEP Avril Doyle has hit out at suggestions that talks on implementing the Lisbon treaty should be dropped, saying the debate is “without presumption and perfectly legitimate.”
Deputy Mary-Lou McDonald tabled a resolution in the parliament on Monday asking that discussions on five reports on the provisions of the treaty to be debated and voted on by MEPs this week be cancelled as they were “prejudging” the result of a second Irish referendum.
The resolution was rejected Monday night by 147 votes to 11, and the debates will now take place as planned during Wednesday, with a vote on Thursday.
In the wake of the defeat Doyle poured scorn on her colleague saying McDonald was “capitalising on the issue.”
She added that there are “legitimate and practical issues to be discussed” which for Irish people are “considering their own interest.”
Defending the resolution McDonald previously told theparliament.com that she considered the debates to be “high handed and unacceptable.”
She explained to this website that “we talk a lot about democracy and we wear a badge of honour that we are elected, but Ireland was the only jurisdiction to vote and it was rejected…and the French and Dutch did likewise.”
She continued, “The fundamental issue is that we are accountable to the people and we need to remind ourselves of that.”
Doyle believes the issues in the discussion to be very different saying, “All of the reports are predicated on full respect on the outcome of the second referendum.”
She continued that she “had no difficulty in having full and frank exchange of views” and “no difficulty in voting on them [the reports].”
Meanwhile, back in Ireland minister for European affairs, Dick Roche has said that the decisive second referendum will definitely be held in the autumn.
Doyle says this puts pressure on the parliament as “we must get this passed before summer recess to allow an as early as possible referendum.”
McDonald however, believes moves to complete the vote quickly were not in the interests of citizens as “we don’t know what precisely the Irish government has done” in terms of securing a good deal for Ireland.
Furthermore she says that Irish government claims to have resolved difficult issues are “difficult to believe and lacklustre.”
She also called on the Irish authorities to publish a progress report “so people can reflect on these matters and what their government has done.”
Doyle hit back that “concessions were agreed some time ago” as part of the French presidency’s successes, and will “hopefully be signed off under the Czech presidency.”
Doyle will be the first to take the floor in Wednesday’s parliamentary session debate and says she will be asking the Czechs for their own timetable in terms of their ratification of the treaty.
From a constitutional point of view, German MEP Jo Leinen spoke out on the importance of the arrangements under discussion saying, “The parliament will resolve a comprehensive reform of its own rules of procedure.”
“The centre of the activities will be formed by the legislation and less by general resolutions,” he said.
“A further change concerns the chairing of the opening session of new legislative terms” Leinen added, “the outgoing president, one of his vice-presidents or the oldest member of the parliament will open the new legislative period.”
He concluded, “Hope remains that the Czech senate and the people of Ireland will overcome the last hurdles for the entry into force of the Lisbon treaty.”
Have your say...
Please enter your comments below.