Liam Aylward, Fianna Fáil MEP for the East constituency, has said that the legal guarantees agreed by EU leaders for Ireland attached to the Lisbon Treaty do protect key policy issues for Ireland.
Mr Aylward said, "the Irish Government has sought to address the concerns of the Irish people as expressed in last year's Lisbon Treaty referendum in a determined way.”
Agreement was reached last December that in the event of the Lisbon Treaty being ratified all member states of the EU would continue to nominate one member to the European Commission at all times.
The legal guarantees agreed by EU leaders on June 18 last on taxation, the right to life, education and the family, defence and neutrality will be legally binding from the date the Lisbon Treaty enters into force.
These guarantees state clearly that the protections in the Irish Constitution in relation to the right to life, education and the family are not in any way affected by the Lisbon Treaty or by the EU Charter on Fundamental Rights.
Also that the Treaty of Lisbon gives no new powers to the European Union over taxation matters. This means that Ireland will retain control over taxation rates. No decision on taxation can be made at an EU level without the agreement of Ireland.
The guarantees add that the Treaty of Lisbon fully respects Ireland's policy of military neutrality and Ireland will be taking its own decisions over future levels of defence expenditure and whether or not to take part in future peacekeeping missions.
There is also a solemn declaration agreed which will protect workers' rights in the context of the EU Charter on Fundamental Rights.
