Taoiseach Brian Cowen has hailed the result of the Lisbon Treaty referendum as a “good day for Ireland and a good day for Europe”.
Speaking on the steps of Government Buildings yesterday ahead of a final declaration of the result, Mr Cowen said the treaty would be carried "decisively" and said the electorate had "done the right thing for our own future and the future of our children".
He said the Irish people had "spoken with a clear and resounding voice" and declared their intent "to remain at the heart of Europe where our future belongs".
The Irish people had spoken with "a clear and resounding voice" and had taken "a decisive step for a stronger, fairer and better Ireland and a stronger, fairer better Europe". He described it as "a good day for Ireland and a good day for Europe".
Mr Cowen claimed the resounding backing for the treaty had sent a message to the other countries in the EU that "we stand with them as we seek to move forward together".
He thanked the Opposition for its support and said they, by backing the treaty, had put the best interests of the country ahead of party politics.
He said the challenge now was to work "with all our partners to ensure that the reforms this treaty brings will be implemented". He cited climate change, cross border crime and economic difficulties as key areas which would need to be addressed.
"On this day the full and final credit for this victory rests with the Irish people," he said. "They showed an Ireland embracing her future with Europe. Ireland is ready to grow and prosper.
Today's vote will help us achieve a common aim: a prosperous productive and forward-looking Ireland. We will now apply ourselves to achieving that with imagination determination and courage."
In a briefing to reporters later yesterday afternoon, Mr Cowen said the Government had run a very positive campaign.
"We insisted on the guarantees we obtained being legally water-tight, we felt that was absolutely necessary before the Government would consider putting this referendum a second time," he said.
The Taoiseach also praised Fine Gael and Labour for treating the referendum as a national rather than domestic issue. "This was not a business as usual or politics as usual type of campaign," he said. "It was a very important national campaign for the country and I'm very pleased with the outcome."
He said the Government had been concerned Ireland would have been marginalised in the future had the electorate rejected the treaty for a second time.
Mr Cowen also said he was "confident" the Green Party would stay in the Coalition and that its members would vote in favour of supporting Nama at a party conference next week. "I am confident that my Government will continue and will take all necessary steps to effect economic recovery as quickly as possible," he said.
The Coalition partners are currently engaged in a process aimed at negotiating a new programme for government. Among the key demands of the Greens are reversals of recent education cuts, tax increases, Dáil reform and a universal health system, as well as an animal welfare Bill that would ban hare coursing.
The new programme will have to be approved by two-thirds of the delegates at the Green Party convention, otherwise it will be obliged to pull out of the Coalition.