The president of the European Parliament will arrive in Ireland tomorrow to attend a number of meetings on the Lisbon Treaty.
During the morning, Hans-Gert Pöttering will meet with the Episcopal Conference, at the invitation of Cardinal Sean Brady and Archbishop of Dublin Dr Diarmuid Martin, to meet the hierarchy of the Catholic Church.
In the afternoon, Mr Pöttering will meet Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin and the Oireachtas Sub-Committee on Ireland’s Future in the European Union.
The committee, under chairman Senator Pascal Donohue of Fine Gael, has been set up to examine the reasons for the rejection of the Lisbon Treaty and to draft a report for the Government on the way forward.
Commenting on his visit, Mr Pöttering said: “We are entering a crucial phase as the Irish Government seeks to formulate its position before meeting its European partners in the European Council in Brussels on December 11th.
"My intention is to assure all parties of the desire of the European Parliament to see a solution which allows for ratification of the Lisbon Treaty by all 27 member states."
He continued: "We need the Lisbon Treaty to allow the European Union to operate in a more effective way to deal with the challenges facing us, including the financial crisis and current economic difficulties, and of course climate change.
"Ireland has always been at the heart of this European project and it has served Ireland well. It is in Ireland’s best interest to continue on this path.”
Mr Pöttering is in the North today and met First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness at Stormont this morning.
He is to discuss with colleagues in Brussels what financial support could be obtained for a centre for conflict transformation in the North.
The development plan, which has polarised nationalists and unionists, is proposed for the site of the former Maze prison near Belfast. It would highlight the history of the conflict, which saw ten republican hunger strikers die at the Maze in a protest over demands for political status.
Welcoming the plan, Mr Pöttering said: “It is very useful to have a centre where you study the development of the reconciliation process. We should learn from history, from the good developments, from the bad development."
Mr Pöttering also met the Speaker of the Assembly William Hay and addressed the Assembly on challenges facing the EU.
Additional reporting PA
