MacGill Summer School: A joint North/South approach to Europe on economic and political matters was suggested last night by the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell.
The Minister told the MacGill Summer School that he was speaking in a personal capacity. He wondered was it a bridge too far to envisage in the medium term that the people of Ireland could share their future in Europe by pooling Ireland's status as part of the North/South institutions between the two parts of the island, entirely without prejudice to the constitutional issues of unionism or a united Ireland.
"I appreciate the very notion sounds radical. But I wonder whether the two traditions on this island could not, in the medium or longer term, aspire to share together the functions and powers now exercised exclusively by the government in Dublin for the Republic, given that our economic and political interests in Europe are closely intertwined and are very similar.
"Would such an arrangement give something of real value to unionists without compromising unacceptably their general political position? Do we, North and South, have the courage or generosity to contemplate such a step?"
Mr McDowell said that in his view a republic was a society in which the state was the master of none and the servant of all. It was a society where the citizens stood equally in the eyes of the law, and where the only "ruler" was the law.
It was a society that equally rejected the totalitarianism of Marxist socialism or the libertarianism of unbridled capitalism. "A republic is a society which accords to its citizens respect and privacy and economic, cultural and personal autonomy. It is a society in which policy and politics are decided by the people and their elected representatives, working through constitutional organs of democracy."
The Labour Party leader, Mr Pat Rabbitte, strongly attacked the current Government, and criticised policies advocated by Mr McDowell and the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy.
He claimed that the Minister's "removal" to Brussels, and the reshaping by the Taoiseach of his Cabinet, that was now to follow, had been prompted by the outcome of the local elections.
"I would also opine that we are also now in general election mode. The campaign for the next general election has started," Mr Rabbitte said.
He added that next week he hoped to publish a paper to be entitled "The Fair Economy" . Its intention was to set out the framework of an alternative approach to economic management, one which was rooted in the long-held political values of the left, but attuned to the needs of a modern economy, and one which was among the most open in the world.
The Minister of State with responsibility for children, Mr Brian Lenihan, strongly defended Mr McCreevy, claiming that he had demonstrated no shyness in confronting vested interests. "In his seven years as Finance Minister, he has overseen the creation of over 420,000 jobs. There are now 1.8 million persons working in the State. Long-term unemployment has been cut by 80 per cent since 1997, and unemployment at, 4 per cent, is the lowest in Europe."
Mr Lenihan said that the economic renaissance which started in 1987 took time to make a positive impact on the lives of the people. "The benefits are now indisputable. Our innate talent for politics and government has now been matched by our talent for enterprise."
The Fine Gael deputy leader, Mr Richard Bruton, said the "charade" of budget day should be abandoned.
"The phenomenon of budget day has its origins in simpler times. It serves to focus attention on the urgent rather than the important. The hype of budget day truncates proper scrutiny by parliament, by pitching decisions into a secretive partisan showpiece."
Mr Bruton said a draft budget should be presented in October, detailing both spending and tax plans, and should be considered for six weeks before its adoption.