FRENCH PRESIDENT Nicolas Sarkozy's controversial visit to Dublin on Monday, which will include a private meeting with Yes and No Lisbon campaigners, has now been cut down to just four hours.
Final arrangements for the visit of Mr Sarkozy, who is the head of the European Council of EU leaders for the next six months, were still being put in place by Irish and French officials last night. According to both Government and French sources, he will meet political figures from all parties, including Sinn Féin MEP Mary Lou McDonald, and leaders of lobby organisations including the Irish Farmers Association president Pádraig Walshe at the French embassy.
He will arrive in Dublin at 1pm, where he will be met by Ireland's Permanent Representative to the EU Bobby McDonagh, before he is taken to Government Buildings for a lunch meeting with Taoiseach Brian Cowen.
The meeting will be attended by Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin and his French counterpart Bernard Kouchner, who caused controversy during the campaign after he warned that Ireland would suffer if it voted No.
Following a short press conference, Mr Sarkozy will travel to the French embassy where he will meet the Dáil leaders of all the political parties.
In addition, he will hold a short discussion - perhaps separately - with representatives from the IFA, the Irish Business Employers' Confederation, the National Youth Council and Libertas.
Following the late scrapping of plans to hold a public meeting with No campaigners, the potential for the outspoken Mr Sarkozy further to complicate the Government's difficulties over Lisbon have been minimised, though not eliminated.
Labour Party leader Éamon Gilmore said last night: "The French president is quite welcome to come to Ireland to talk to whomever he wants to talk to. What he is not welcome to do, however, is to start dictating to us what we should be doing as a country."
Asked if Labour would attend the French embassy event, a spokesman was keen to play down the significance of the visit.
"This meeting will last for an hour, with a considerable number of people in attendance. It is very unclear what useful work can be done, but we would go along as a matter of courtesy," the spokesman told The Irish Times last night.
However, Mr Sarkozy, a noted critic of European Commissioner Peter Mandelson's conduct of the WTO talks, will get a warm welcome from IFA president Pádraig Walshe, an IFA spokesman said last night.
Former Green MEP Patricia McKenna was critical of the decision to scrap the public meeting with No campaigners, blaming the Government for influencing French officials to block such an event.
"The Government needs to realise that it was the No side that won the referendum. It would be good if there was such an event where the No side could put forward their ideas and where his reaction could be seen," Ms McKenna said.
Another No campaigner, Richard Boyd Barrett of People Before Profit Alliance, called on the public to protest against efforts to force a second referendum on Lisbon.
A "No Means No" protest organised by the group will be held outside Government Buildings on Merrion Street from 12.30pm on Monday. "Sarkozy's insistence that Ireland has no choice but to vote again on the Lisbon Treaty is outrageous and shows utter contempt to democracy," Mr Boyd Barrett said.
