Passage of The Bill
The treaty was signed on 13 December 2007 in Lisbon. On 26 February 2008, the Government of Ireland approved the text of the changes to the constitution. The Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 2008 was published on 6 March. The bill allows for the ratification of the treaty and also retains the prohibition on Irish participation in an EU common defence agreement. It also allows for Ireland (like the United Kingdom) to opt out from the change from unanimous decisions to qualified majority voting in the sector of police and judicial affairs; this decision will be reviewed three years after the treaty enters into force (if referendum allows). Both states will be able to opt in on these voting issues on a case-by-case basis.
In Dáil Éireann, the bill passed the First Stage on 2 April 2008, the Second Stage on 23 April 2008, and the Committee Stage and Report and Final Stages on 29 April 2008; the text of the referendum was also approved on 29 April.
The bill was then sent to Seanad Éireann, where it passed the Second Stage and Committee Stage on 1 May 2008, and the Report and Final Stages on 9 May 2008.
Read more about this topic: Twenty-eighth Amendment Of The Constitution Bill 2008 (Ireland)
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