Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It will not cede our sovereignty. When we signed up to the Lisbon treaty it was made clear that issues relating to security and migration would be a European competence. Ireland agreed and negotiated that there would be an opt-in measure. For any of these types of measures for security and policing, and many of the measures we have discussed in the committee and in the Houses, we make a decision as to whether we want to opt in to them. All of the measures we are speaking about are measures we have discussed, engaged on, helped to develop and worked through since 2016. At no stage has there been a suggestion, nor has any legal advice been provided to me, that they would in any way impede our sovereignty or our Constitution. These are measures we opt in to. This is something we secured and negotiated before people agreed the Lisbon treaty. It is very clear this does not in any way impede our sovereignty.