Hans-Gert Pöttering said: 
 “On behalf of the European Parliament, I would like to pay tribute to the Czech Presidency of the EU for securing this crucial deal to allow us to move forward.
 
Today's deal provides reassurances to Ireland in the key sensitive areas of taxation policy, the right to life, education and the family and military neutrality. Crucially, Ireland's European partners agreed to a future protocol that would give Ireland legal certainty on these matters.
 
The European Parliament strongly supports this solution. We would dearly like to see the Lisbon Treaty enter into force by the end of 2009 because we are convinced that it provides a better framework for effective and coordinated action by the European Union, on the basis of greater democracy and transparency.
 
The unanimous agreement today demonstrates that the European Union is a community built on solidarity. The Member States, as well as the European Commission and Parliament, listened to Ireland's concerns and responded in a very concrete way.
 
We now look forward to the Irish Government consulting the Irish people on this comprehensive deal by way of Referendum this autumn. I also appeal to the political leadership in those countries where the Treaty ratification process has not been finalised, to take the final steps as soon as possible.”