Harney Drunk at Forum on Europe

national | eu | news report Thursday March 04, 2004 18:28 by Jonah - Sinn Féin

Well, probably not, but she did endorse a key demand of campaigners against the privatisation of public serviced through the European process.

Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Mary Harney told the Forum on Europe today that was opposed to a move to Qualified Majority Voting on the opening up of trade in Education, Health and Cultural services.

Harney argued that states should have the right of veto in these essential public services. Representatives of DAPSE, Sinn Féin and other groups were taken aback from Harney's statement, as was keynote speaker Dr. Franz-Josef Stummann, Deputy Secretary-General, Assembly of European Regions.

While follow up questions looking for transparency in Article 133 negotiations and the effects of the common commercial policy on support services in Health and Education elicited little real information, campaigners for the protection of public services in Europe gave the remarks a cautious welcome.

Harney ducked a question from Sinn Féin representative Mary Lou McDonald as to what the Government's position on the Treaty would be if unanimity taken away.

The speech does not seem to be available on the net yet, but would be well worth casting an eye over.