Will the Taoiseach take the opportunity now to clarify the position with regard to referenda in connection with the Maastricht Treaty and the Supreme Court decision? There is utter confusion in this House, in the Fianna Fáil Party, in the Government and in the country about the Government's intentions. On Tuesday, the Taoiseach gave an undertaking in this House that there was nothing to the comment of the Minister for Foreign Affairs on radio that morning "that the door was slightly ajar", yet yesterday the President of the European Council in the European Parliament said they were anxious to facilitate the Irish Government and the door was ajar in regard to amending the Protocol.
Order of Business (Resumed).
I want to assist the Deputy——
The Attorney General is in Europe on the same business.
He is not a Member of this House.
I want to assist the Deputy to raise a legitimate matter on the Order of Business. I appreciate its importance.
If the House is to operate, it is important that the Government and the Opposition co-operate. There will be no co-operation if the Taoiseach continues to preach consensus outside this House but makes no effort to contact the Opposition parties about his proposals.
We were engaged in the process of consultation for four weeks but the Deputy's party pulled out at the last minute.
Baloney.
(Interruptions.)
The Government are in total disarray and the Taoiseach is trying to pin this on the Opposition.
(Interruptions.)
I now call Deputy Michael D. Higgins.
(Interruptions.)
Mr. Barry rose.
Deputy Barry, the matter you have raised is quite irrelevant to the Order of Business but by reason of its importance——
I do not wish to be disorderly, but I asked the Taoiseach if he intends to bring in legislation to hold referenda to deal with the Maastricht Treaty and the Supreme Court decision.
Such legislation was not promised.
Legislation has not been promised.
I want to know the order in which the referenda are being taken.
I am calling Deputy Michael D. Higgins.
A Cheann Comhairle——
It was promised at the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party, outside this House. The Taoiseach is treating this House with contempt.
Deputy Barry must now resume his seat.
If you want consensus for the issue——
Deputy Barry, please desist. I am calling Deputy Michael D. Higgins.
——come and talk to us but do not impose it on us.
We had four weeks of talks.
That is not true, as the record will show.
The House having decided it is going into recess until 28 April——
We did not talk for four weeks.
A Government of misinformation. We did everything we could to help and you made a complete mess of it.
Just when I am about to secure order the usual intervention takes place. I am calling Deputy Higgins.
The House having decided to adjourn at the end of business today and having promised on the Order of Business more than once that a White Paper would shortly be published, may I ask the Taoiseach if he will indicate to the House now in the interests of clear information, both to the House and to the public, whether that White Paper will have reference to the Protocol in it, whether it will describe the Protocol as a conditional statement and whether the public when they see the White Paper will have a clear indication as to the ordering of referenda? I rarely delay your time but it is in the interests of democracy, it is making a mockery——
The Deputy has made his point adequately.
Perhaps we could have an answer to that question.
The White Paper is under consideration by the Government and will be published at the very earliest opportunity. I hope it will give the opportunity for reasoned debate in relation to what Maastricht is all about and not to be tangled up in the emotive and outrageous statements that have already been made in relation to what Maastricht stands for — which it does not stand for. It is in the interests of this nation and its people and in our attack on unemployment and in farming and in all sectors of this economy that Maastricht gets a full and open debate——
What are you doing about it?
The White Paper will contain that. The explanatory memorandum will be published by the Minister for Foreign Affairs to explain in ordinary commonman's and commonwoman's language what Maastricht is all about.
If it all fails it will be your fault.
It will give the opportunity once and for all to put politics aside and start the debate in the national interest.
Deputies
Hear, hear.
I want to finish this point.
I have afforded the Deputy an opportunity.
I would like to clarify one point.
What the Taoiseach is saying is outrageous.
When the Taoiseach's predecessor came back to this House around the time of the discussions at Maastricht there was indeed some reference in his statements to the matters which the Taoiseach has now referred to. There was not a single reference to the Protocol in this House. Now the confusion about the Protocol threatens to make it impossible to have——
I am calling Deputy De Rossa.
The position with regard to the European Council and the Protocol needs to be clarified as a matter of urgency. I would ask the Taoiseach either to make a statement to the House today in relation to that matter, or at least ask the party leaders who are willing to meet him to sit down with him to discuss precisely what is going on, because there seems to be a conflict of view between what he has said about the potential for an amendment to the Protocol and what the President of the Council of Ministers said last night that they are anxious to reach accommodation with the Irish Government.
Let us avoid making speeches.
For clarification, it may be helpful to the House to know that there was a clear majority — and I spelled it out in this House — at the Council of Ministers meeting that the Maastricht Treaty would not be re-opened to accommodate or withdraw or otherwise deal with the Protocol. There was an offer of solemn declarations and interpretative statements in relation to it. The clear majority view — and I made it abundantly clear, and it has not changed one lota — is that the Council of Ministers came to the conclusion that they will not re-open the Treaty. That is the position and if there is any change in that position I am totally unaware of it. Indeed, the Attorney General is in Europe today to clarify——
In Brussels — we are all in Europe.
I think some of you want to come out of it by the way you are acting.
The Taoiseach will bring us out of it.
I know what the farmers of Clare would say to the Deputy if he opposed the Maastricht Treaty. There would be no headage payments. That is the position and there has been no change. The Atorney General is in Brussels to clarify what they mean by solemn declarations, status, interpretative statements and any other aspects. That is the up to date position.
Deputy Barry rose.
I have allowed some comment for the purpose of clarification; I cannot permit of a debate.
Deputy Barry, I will allow you a last remark, and no speech making, please. I am going on then to the business ordered—
Deputy Sheehan rose.
Sorry, Deputy Sheehan.
I am anxious not to delay the House but I think this matter is so important that there must be more clarification than what we got from the Taoiseach this morning. Did the Government decide yesterday to hold the referendum on Maastricht before amendments dealing with the Supreme Court case? He has not answered that question. It is essential that the Maastricht referendum be held in June, or can it be held later in the year? What decision have the Government reached about those two points and was their unanimity in the Government about them?
The Government did not meet yesterday. I do not know where the Deputy is getting his information.
Whatever day they met, then.
Deputy Sheehan rose.
I am proceeding to item No. 1.
It is clear that the Taoiseach is now known as "Albert in Blunderland".
If the Taoiseach continues like that he can throw his hat at co-operation. That was a slick performance unworthy of the Taoiseach.