TAOISEACH BRIAN Cowen said the Government had made no decision on a second Lisbon Treaty referendum.
Mr Cowen said that everything depended on the concerns of the Irish people on taxation, defence and ethical and social issues, including workers’ rights, being addressed to the Government’s satisfaction as our EU partners had promised.
“The question of revisiting the ratification process remains firmly in our own hands,’’ he added.
“I have consistently said that no decision has been taken yet. We have committed ourselves to seek to ratify the treaty before the end of the term of the current commission if we are satisfied when the detailed follow-up work has been completed.’’
Mr Cowen said the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin, had taken the opportunity to meet the foreign minister and deputy prime minister of the Czech Republic.
“He discussed the logistics of what we are engaged in with them,’’ the Taoiseach added.
“We are working on detailed texts that have to be submitted to the legal services section of the European Commission. If the commission is satisfied with them, the matter will be taken up with the Czech presidency at that stage.’’
The Taoiseach was replying to the Fine Gael leader, Enda Kenny, who noted that Mr Cowen had made the point that the treaty was a conduit for Europe having a single voice in international affairs.
“During the French presidency of the EU, President Sarkozy brought this to a new level,’’ he added.
Mr Kenny said his party fully supported the Lisbon Treaty. Its endorsement was absolutely necessary if the EU was to be strengthened, he added. “The concerns of the Irish people should be the subject of the strongest possible protections,’’ he added.
