A constitutional amendment on neutrality is required to reflect public concerns expressed during the Nice Treaty referendum, according to the Labour Party.
After a meeting of the parliamentary party today, Labour expressed their support for the European enlargement but said the Government must respond to the public rejection of the Nice Treaty last year before putting the matter to people again.
They have called on the Government to urgently pass the Labour-sponsored European Union Bill, 2001, which, they say, provides for increased Oireachtas scrutiny of the European Council of Ministers.
The Bill also proposes measures that would ensure the Defence Forces could only operate as part of the EU’s Rapid Reaction Force under a United Nations mandate.
In a statement issued after the meeting, the party said: "There is a particular onus on the Government that sponsored the [last] referendum to indicate that it has listened to the voice of the people and responded to it ... the context in which the people vote on the Nice Treaty needs to change fundamentally."
They said a constitutional amendment on neutrality should be put to the people on the same day as the second referendum on the Nice Treaty.
A Labour spokesman told ireland.comsaid the Bill and the consitutional amendment a second referendum on Nice could be "credibly put to the people".
He added that the party would await a response before deciding on whether they could support the Government in the referendum campaign.