Public Information About the Proposal to Amend Article 29 of the Constitution

This motion is being layed before the House today persuant to section 23
of the Referendum Act 1994. It is as follows

The Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008 proposes-

(a) to insert the following subsections after subsection 10º of section 4 of Article 29 of the Constitution:

'10° The State may ratify the Treaty of Lisbon amending the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty establishing the European Community, signed at Lisbon on the 13th day of December 2007, and may be a member of the European Union established by virtue of that Treaty.

11° No provision of this Constitution invalidates laws enacted, acts done or measures adopted by the State that are necessitated by the obligations of membership of the European Union referred to in subsection 10° of this section, or prevents laws enacted, acts done or measures adopted by the said European Union or by institutions thereof, or by bodies competent under the treaties referred to in
this section, from having the force of law in the State.

12° The State may exercise the options or discretions provided by or under Articles 1.22, 2.64, 2.65, 2.66, 2.67, 2.68 and 2.278 of the Treaty referred to in subsection 10° of this section and Articles 1.18 and 1.20 of Protocol No. 1 annexed to that Treaty, but any such exercise shall be subject to the prior approval of both Houses
of the Oireachtas.

13° The State may exercise the option to secure that the Protocol on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of the area of freedom, security and justice annexed to the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (formerly known as the Treaty establishing the European Community) shall, in whole or in part, cease to apply to the State, but any such exercise shall be subject to the prior approval of both Houses of the Oireachtas.

14° The State may agree to the decisions, regulations or other acts under—

• i Article 1.34(b)(iv),



• ii Article 1.56 (in so far as it relates to Article 48.7 of the Treaty referred to in subsection 4° of this section),



• iii Article 2.66 (in so far as it relates to the second subparagraph of Article 65.3 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union),



• iv Article 2.67 (in so far as it relates to subparagraph (d) of Article 69A.2, the third subparagraph of Article 69B.1 and paragraphs 1 and 4 of Article 69E of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union),



• v Article 2.144(a),



• vi Article 2.261 (in so far as it relates to the second subparagraph of Article 270a.2 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union), and



• vii Article 2.278 (in so far as it relates to Article 280H of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union),

of the Treaty referred to in subsection 10° of this section, and may also agree to the decision under the second sentence of the second subparagraph of Article 137.2 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (as amended by Article 2.116(a) of the Treaty 1referred to in the said subsection 10°), but the agreement to any such decision, regulation or act shall be subject to the prior approval of both Houses of the Oireachtas.

15° The State shall not adopt a decision taken by the European Council to establish a common defence pursuant to—

• i Article 1.2 of the Treaty referred to in subsection 7° of this section, or



• ii Article 1.49 of the Treaty referred to in subsection 10° of this section,

where that common defence would include the State.

(b) to delete the following subsection from section 4 of Article 29 of the Constitution:

'11º The State may ratify the Agreement relating to Community Patents drawn up between the Member States of the Communities and done at Luxembourg on the 15th day of December, 1989.'.

2. IF YOU APPROVE of the proposal, mark X opposite the word YES on the ballot paper.

3. IF YOU DO NOT APPROVE of the proposal, mark X opposite the word NO on the ballot paper.

4. 4. A copy of the Bill can be inspected or obtained free of charge at any Post Office

The Irish Version:

1. Is é atá beartaithe leis an mBille um an Ochtú Leasú is Fiche ar an mBunreacht 2008-

(a) na fo-ailt seo a leanas a chur isteach i ndiaidh fho-alt 10º d’alt 4 d’Airteagal 29 den Bhunreacht:

'10° Tig leis an Stát Conradh Liospóin ag leasú an Chonartha ar an Aontas Eorpach agus an Chonartha ag bunú an Chomhphobail Eorpaigh, arna shíniú i Liospóin an 13ú lá de Nollaig 2007, a dhaingniú agus tig leis a bheith ina chomhalta den Aontas
Eorpach a bhunaítear de bhua an Chonartha sin.

11° Ní dhéanann aon fhoráil atá sa Bhunreacht seo dlíthe a d’achtaigh, gníomhartha a rinne nó bearta a ghlac an Stát, de bhíthin riachtanais na noibleagáidí mar chomhalta den Aontas Eorpach dá dtagraítear i bhfoalt 10° den alt seo, a chur ó bhail dlí ná cosc a chur le dlíthe a d’achtaigh, gníomhartha a rinne nó bearta a ghlac an tAontas Eorpach sin nó institiúidí de, nó comhlachtaí atá inniúil faoi na conarthaí dá dtagraítear san alt seo, ó fheidhm dlí a bheith acu sa Stát.

12° Tig leis an Stát na roghnuithe nó na roghanna a fheidhmiú a shocraítear le hAirteagail 1.22, 2.64, 2.65, 2.66, 2.67, 2.68 agus 2.278 den Chonradh dá dtagraítear i bhfo-alt 10° den alt seo agus le hAirteagail 1.18 agus 1.20 de Phrótacal Uimh. 1 atá i gceangal leis an gConradh sin, nó a shocraítear faoi na hAirteagail sin, ach beidh aon fheidhmiú den sórt sin faoi réir ceadú a fháil roimh ré ó dhá Theach an Oireachtais.

13° Tig leis an Stát an roghnú a fheidhmiú chun a áirithiú, i ndáil leis an bPrótacal maidir le seasamh na Ríochta Aontaithe agus na hÉireann i dtaca leis an limistéar saoirse, slándála agus ceartais atá i gceangal leis an gConradh ar Aontas Eorpach agus leis an gConradh ar Fheidhmiú an Aontais Eorpaigh (ar a dtugtaí an Conradh ag bunú an Chomhphobail Eorpaigh tráth), go scoirfidh sé, go hiomlán nó go páirteach, d’fheidhm a bheith aige maidir leis an Stát, ach beidh aon fheidhmiú den sórt sin faoi réir ceadú a fháil roimh ré ó dhá Theach an Oireachtais.

14° Tig leis an Stát aontú leis na cinntí, leis na rialacháin nó leis na
gníomhartha eile arna ndéanamh-

• i faoi Airteagal 1.34(b)(iv),



• ii faoi Airteagal 1.56 (a mhéid a bhaineann sé le hAirteagal 48.7 den Chonradh dá dtagraítear i bhfo-alt 4° den alt seo),



• iii faoi Airteagal 2.66 (a mhéid a bhaineann sé leis an dara fomhír d’Airteagal 65.3 den Chonradh ar Fheidhmiú an Aontais Eorpaigh),



• iv faoi Airteagal 2.67 (a mhéid a bhaineann sé le fomhír (d) d’Airteagal 69A.2, leis an tríú fomhír d’Airteagal 69B.1 agus le míreanna 1 agus 4 d’Airteagal 69E den Chonradh ar Fheidhmiú an Aontais Eorpaigh),



• v faoi Airteagal 2.144(a),



• vi faoi Airteagal 2.261 (a mhéid a bhaineann sé leis an dara fomhír d’Airteagal 270a.2 den Chonradh ar Fheidhmiú an Aontais Eorpaigh), agus



• vii faoi Airteagal 2.278 (a mhéid a bhaineann sé le hAirteagal 280H den Chonradh ar Fheidhmiú an Aontais Eorpaigh),

den Chonradh dá dtagraítear i bhfo-alt 10° den alt seo, agus tig leis freisin aontú leis an gcinneadh faoin dara habairt den dara fomhír d’Airteagal 137.2 den Chonradh ar Fheidhmiú an Aontais Eorpaigh (arna leasú le hAirteagal 2.116(a) den Chonradh dá dtagraítear san fho-alt 10° sin), ach beidh aontú le haon chinneadh, rialachán nó gníomh den sórt sin faoi réir ceadú a fháil roimh ré ó dhá Theach an Oireachtais.

15° Ní ghlacfaidh an Stát cinneadh arna dhéanamh ag an gComhairle Eorpach chun comhchosaint a bhunú-

• i de bhun Airteagal 1.2 den Chonradh dá dtagraítear i bhfoalt 7° den alt seo, ná
  
  
• ii de bhun Airteagal 1.49 den Chonradh dá dtagraítear i bhfoalt 10° den alt seo,

i gcás ina mbeadh an Stát san áireamh sa chomhchosaint sin.', agus

(b) an fo-alt seo a leanas a scriosadh as alt 4 d’Airteagal 29 den Bhunreacht:

'11º Tig leis an Stát an Comhaontú maidir le Paitinní Comhphobail a tarraingíodh suas idir Ballstáit na gComhphobal agus a rinneadh i Lucsamburg ar an 15ú lá de Nollaig,1989, a dhaingniú.'.

2. MÁ THOILÍONN TÚ leis an togra, cuir X os coinne an fhocail TÁ ar an bpáipéar ballóide.

3. MURA dTOILÍONN TÚ leis an togra, cuir X os coinne an fhocail NÍL ar an bpáipéar ballóide.

4. Is féidir cóip den Bhille a iniúchadh nó a fháil saor in aisce in aon Phost-Oifig.

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Source:
RIAR NA hOIBRE - ORDER PAPER, Déardaoin, 3 Aibreán, 2008 - Thursday, 3rd April, 2008