Ahern to discuss strategy for EU treaty

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will meet Opposition leaders next week to discuss a strategy and the legislation needed for the EU reform treaty referendum.

Mr Ahern, who has repeatedly declined to specify a date for the referendum until EU leaders sign the treaty, reiterated that "while no formal decision has been taken, I expect that we will hold a referendum sometime next year, probably in the summer. I have said this to several of my European Council colleagues".

He told the Dáil that once EU leaders signed the treaty, the Attorney General would give a formal legal judgment.

"The outcome is not in doubt," he said.

"However, we must go through this legal process. Then the treaty will be signed. We must then turn our minds to the date to bring forward referendum legislation to allow us to hold the referendum. We must put the machinery in place for a referendum commission and structure a campaign.

"I look forward to talking to Opposition leaders next week and coming to an agreed view on that."

Ireland is likely to be the only EU member state to hold a referendum and Mr Ahern said that "the main priority once the treaty is signed next month will be to engage the public and ensure that they are well informed about the treaty ahead of the planned referendum next year. The National Forum on Europe will play a leading role in facilitating public debate."

He said the Government would engage in a thorough information campaign which would include the publication and distribution of a comprehensive White Paper on the reform treaty as well as other information materials such as leaflets.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny pressed Mr Ahern as to whether the referendum on children's rights could be held on the same day as the EU referendum. The Taoiseach said: "If possible I would like to honour the commitment we made on the children's rights referendum. The committee on the constitutional amendment on children begins its work this week."

The committee needed four months to do its work and "that takes us to the end of March or so, around Easter. I understand that this timeframe cannot be improved on, which brings us into the next parliamentary session because Easter is very early in 2008.

"We will have to consider whether it will be possible to hold the two referendums."