Labour leader Eamon Gilmore appears to have softened his stance slightly in relation to a second referendum on the Lisbon treaty.
Mr Gilmore accepted that any constitutional change that will arise from an EU treaty will require a referendum but said that Ireland needed to stop being fixated by the Lisbon Treaty.
Instead, he said, the Irish public should start to hold a wider discussion about the country's relationship with Europe, and the future of the EU itself.
Speaking at the conclusion of his party's two-day special meeting in Clonmel today, Mr Gilmore agreed that there would need to be some form of consultation with the people about Lisbon.
"Of course. Any change in an EU treaty requires a referendum here. There is obviously going to be another referendum at some point on a European issue. The question is what question is going to be put to people in that referendum?
"We would be more productively engaged if we addressed the general question of where the EU is going (and) what our relationship with Europe is," he said.
"The Labour Party has a strong view that Ireland's place is in Europe, and we have a very strong view (that) we want a social and democratic Europe," he added.
Mr Gilmore also called on Taoiseach Brian Cowen and the Government to move the writ on the Dublin South by-election, following the death of Séamus Brennan.
"The people of Dublin South are entitled to have their full representation in Dáil Éireann. There is a constitutional requirement.
"We were all saddened by the death of Séamus Brennan. There has now been a period of time since his sad death. The Government should now hold that by-election to give the people of Dublin South an opportunity of electing a new TD and having full representation and give at least some people an opportunity to pass their verdict on Government's handling of economy and of affairs in general."
Mr Gilmore also said that if Dublin MEP Proinsias de Rossa decided to contest next year's European elections, he would very much welcome it. Mr de Rossa has been said to be considering standing down but Labour strategists believe his absence from the field could favour Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald in a reduced three-seat constituency.
The meeting this morning was taken up by discussion on next year's local election as well as reform of the party's organisation and structures. Mr Gilmore said he hoped that the party would consolidate on its strong local election performance in 2004, where it increased its number of full county and city councillors from 80 to 101.
