Check against delivery
We came here with two aims. Ireland wanted firm legal guarantees. We got them. We wanted a commitment to a protocol. We got that.
I am delighted to be able to say to you now that we have had an entirely successful European Council. The outcome is of huge significance for Ireland and for the Union.
I wish to acknowledge the spirit of solidarity shown to Ireland by our Partners again today.
Together we have agreed a package of legally-binding guarantees that respond positively and decisively to the concerns of the Irish people.
As you know, we already have agreement that each Member State will keep a Commissioner.
And now we have agreement that legally binding guarantees will be incorporated in a protocol to be attached to the EU Treaties after the entry into force of Lisbon.
The doubts that were raised about certain issues have been clarified and put to rest once and for all.
The guarantees make crystal clear that:
Ireland remains in control of our own tax rates;
Ireland's traditional policy of military neutrality is unaffected by the Treaty; and
The protections in the Irish constitution on the right to life, education and the family are not in any way affected by the Lisbon Treaty.
And today we have also agreed a solemn declaration making clear the importance of workers' rights and public services to the Union.
It is 12 months since the Irish people voted No. During that year, the world has been plunged into an unprecedented recession. The global economy has been rocked by a banking crisis. Millions of hard-working people across the world have lost their jobs - and we've seen the tragedy of unemployment rising daily in our own country.
Climate Change may have been replaced at the top of the newspaper headlines but addressing it is becoming more, not less, urgent.
The European Union is the means by which we make a meaningful impact on the wider world in which we exist. The Lisbon Treaty will equip the European Union to deal with an unpredictable future. And more than ever, we need an effective Europe now.
The Treaty contains many innovations. It brings the Union closer to the people. It gives new powers to the MEPs we voted for this month. It gives our national parliament a real say in EU affairs.
Small countries like Ireland cannot afford to go it alone. Membership of the European Union enables us to shape issues with global impact. And it provides us with stability in difficult periods - such as that we are currently experiencing.
The deal we have just concluded shows the Union at its best, listening to Member States, big and small, and arriving at consensus.
Since last June, our over-riding objective has been to address the concerns expressed by the people last year and to ensure Ireland continues to pursue our interests from the heart of the European Union.
We have got the response we wanted.
We are guaranteed that we can keep an Irish Commissioner.
We have reaffirmed the importance of workers' rights and social policy.
And we have cast-iron legal guarantees on taxation, neutrality and ethical issues.
I am confident we now have a solid basis to go to the Irish people and to ask them again for their approval for Ireland to ratify the Treaty so that Europe can move on.
I am looking forward to a mature debate about the Treaty - free of the scares, myths and misinformation which marred last year's campaign.
The European Union is central to our future. It is the platform for much of our prosperity. And it is essential for very many of our jobs.
Ireland's place is at its heart: that is where we plan to remain.
ends