The Taoiseach has rejected reports that "euroscepticism" is growing in Ireland, and warmly praised the EU for its role in changing Irish society, developing the economy and helping the peace process.
During his official visit to Wales yesterday Mr Ahern dismissed as "a very minor episode" the recent conflict with the EU on budgetary policy.
Ireland was very committed to the EU. "Any other stance would be totally illogical and self-defeating," he said.
His tone was markedly different from that of the Tanaiste and the Minister for Finance in recent weeks. Both Ms Harney and Mr McCreevy have publicly disputed the recent EU decision to censure Ireland over what it saw as an inflationary December Budget.
Mr Ahern was speaking at a forum on Europe in Newport yesterday afternoon. Earlier he became the first foreign head of government to address the Welsh Assembly.
He defended the Government's budgetary policy, which was the subject of EU censure last month.
However, he made common cause with the UK on retaining national control over taxation policy. Ireland and Britain agreed on the importance of competitiveness and low taxation, he said, and "We are also united in believing that there is room within the broad parameters of Economic and Monetary Union for a range of approaches to fiscal and other issues."
Membership of the EU had "obliged and helped us to change in many ways", he said. Ireland had had to meet demanding but rewarding new standards in areas such as air transport liberalisation, environmental protection and workplace equality.
"We have broadened our horizons as a people and as a society", he said. "Partnership in the European Union has helped us to develop a new and more balanced relationship with Britain, a crucial underlying factor in our peace process."
Ireland would be willing to take part with small groups of EU member-states in pressing ahead with integration measures to which the entire Union did not subscribe, he said.
But he believed that, for the foreseeable future, "most people's primary loyalty will remain their own countries."
He expressed a lack of enthusiasm for the plans of some member-states to develop further the EU's internal institutional and constitutional arrangements.
"I would caution against becoming fixated by issues which often have very little meaning for the public, and often have little or no apparent practical impact," he said.