Inquiry into defeat of Lisbon Treaty to report in two months

AN OIREACHTAS inquiry into the challenges facing Ireland following the defeat of the Lisbon Treaty referendum is to report within two months.

Chaired by Senator Paschal Donohoe of Fine Gael, the committee will hear presentations from those who opposed and supported the treaty, and those who have other contributions to make about Ireland's involvement with the European Union.

Terms of reference for the body, a subcommittee of the Oireachtas's European Affairs Committee, ask that it "contribute to an open, comprehensive and sincere debate on Ireland's future relationship with the EU".

Sinn Féin's Senator Pearse Doherty said the terms were deliberately intended "to prepare the ground for a rerun of the Lisbon Treaty referendum".

However, Mr Donohoe urged members to undertake the work ahead "without preconditions" and "without party interest".

"We can rerun the debate and the campaign of the referendum or we can analyse carefully where our country stands now in Europe and what the choices and issues are that face our nation," he said.

Labour's Joe Costello said the Oireachtas inquiry is not "an attempt to bail out the Government. It isn't the intention that we should provide the solution to the Government's dilemma".

Fianna Fáil's Thomas Byrne said he agreed with some of the concerns expressed by Mr Doherty "though not the tone".

Independent Senator Ronan Mullen said he voted No because of his concerns about centralisation of power in the EU, and about his fears that the EU would overly influence social policy in Ireland. However, he said he was not instinctively anti-EU.