Guest speakers included the Minister for Defence and Declan Walsh, a lecturer in European Union Law at University College Cork.

“In terms of legislation and oversight the parliament will be stronger after Lisbon than ever before. Through the election of Pat Cox as president of the parliament or Brian Crowley as leader of the UEN group, Irish MEPs have in recent years demonstrated the depth of influence that they hold at the parliament.”

Mr Walsh told those gathered that “in 2014 the European Commission will be streamlined from 27 members to 18 (based on EU membership remaining at 27). There are presently too many commissioners and too many portfolios. We do not need a commissioner solely for multilingualism and we do not need a commissioner solely for enlargement, as we have today”.

“As a result of the Lisbon Treaty individuals will now have easier access to the European Court of Justice if they are unhappy with decisions of the institutions of the EU. Greater access to justice can only be good for us and is to be welcomed. Certain groups campaigning against Lisbon have stated that it will result in a loss of Irish sovereignty. However, history has taught us that the primacy of EU law over Irish law in areas of EU competence has been hugely beneficial to Irish citizens,” he added.

He said that without EU law “tens of thousands of married Irish women would not have gained the right to equal treatment in social welfare payments”, “Irish environmental standards would remain in the dark ages” and “cartels and other anti competitive practices would not be investigated and outlawed”.

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