Fine Gael has rejected a suggestion by the Taoiseach that it "misunderstood" the proposal for a Forum on Europe.
The party's foreign affairs spokesman, Mr Jim O'Keeffe, said yesterday that Mr Ahern had failed to understand that Ireland could not participate in a post-Nice debate on the future of Europe with 14 member-states, while it remained the only member-state with "unfinished business" on the Nice Treaty itself.
His party was adamant that it would not participate in a three-year talking shop because it would fudge the unfinished issue of the treaty. It would also, he said, hide the conflict of policy within the Government.
"The first imperative is on the Government itself to establish a position on EU enlargement in the wake of its failure on the Nice referendum. It is difficult to see how any consensus can be achieved nationally in a situation where the Government itself has three conflicting positions on Europe," Mr O'Keeffe said.
Once the Government had sorted out its own problems on the issue, and was prepared to state a clear, unambiguous position on EU enlargement, there would be merit in a short, sharply-focused European forum.