The Government has been criticised by a leading think-tank on European affairs for its handling of the Nice treaty referendum.
Mr John Palmer, director of the European Policy Institute in Brussels, said politicians had failed to address fundamental questions about why the EU existed and why it was relevant to the Irish public.
Mr Palmer was speaking yesterday at the first full session of the National Forum on Europe, which took place without the participation of the Progressive Democrats who claimed they were not notified of the event. A party spokesman blamed an "administrative error".
A spokesman for the forum, however, said the date was made public at its official launch by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, last week.
"Some final details about the schedule and agenda were addressed to the PDs' representative on the steering committee, Senator John Dardis, who it turned out was out of the country, and it's possible that correspondence was not passed on within the party, but the date was well publicised."
He said attempts were made to contact the party once their absence was discovered.
The forum, prompted by the treaty's rejection last June, heard that regardless of Ireland's stance, 10 of 12 candidate countries were on course to become EU members by mid-2004.
Mr Palmer said debate on the issue throughout Europe had been reduced to "yes or no" arguments.
He said the historical basis for the EU - the post-World War II desire to create a peaceful alliance of nations - had been lost but was more relevant than ever given the current global insecurity.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, said the message needed to go out that nations would not be "voting themselves out of business" by supporting European integration.
The Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, Mr Ahern, said Ireland's rejection of the treaty was viewed as the action of a country that had milked the EU dry and walked away when there was nothing left.
"We can dress it up all we like but the reality is that the accession countries all believed that the Irish No vote was a selfish vote," he said.
Reservations were expressed by some Opposition parties and members of the Special Observer Pillar, which includes the social partners and non-governmental organisations.
Socialist Party delegate, Mr Dermot Connolly, said the EU's potential for harm was demonstrated in its refusal to allow the State to rescue Aer Lingus.
Sinn FΘin's Mr Aengus ╙ Snodaigh argued it was wrong of the Government to present the No vote as a vote against enlargement.
The forum's next session is on November 8th.