28/11/2008

Referendum Replay Revived

An official opinion has now emerged that a second referendum might after take place after all on the contentious Lisbon Treaty.

Debate on how to tackle the Lisbon Treaty impasse are intensifying in an effort to find the "elements of a solution" by December's European Council, Taoiseach Brian Cowen said last night.

He will be heartened by a newly published report by the Oireachtas sub-committee on Ireland's future in the EU, which yesterday concluded that a second referendum on the rejected treaty is feasible.

This is likely to play an important role in determining the Government's future position, Mr Cowen said.

"We need to continue our discussions and, after the European Council, we can then decide where we go from there," he said, last night.

"It's a process of engagement which is intensifying and the work of the Oireachtas committee will have an important role to play in the positions which we will be articulating because they represent in many respects a very broad swathe of opinion," he said.

The report, based on six weeks of hearings with over 50 witnesses, will now be considered by the Government ahead of the December 11 European Council meeting.

Mr Cowen said the Lisbon Treaty "dilemma" posed a "big challenge" for all member states.

"We have to take this step by step and not project ahead of ourselves. I can assure you we have plenty to be concentrating on at the moment in terms of finding the elements of a solution," he said.

(BMcC/KMcA)

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