The member-states of the European Union could reassure the Irish public by confirming that Ireland's military neutrality would be fully respected, the chairman of the Forum on Europe, Senator Maurice Hayes, said in Dublin yesterday.
Introducing the second report on the work of the Forum, which was set up in the aftermath of the last referendum on the Nice Treaty, Senator Hayes said most Forum participants supported Irish involvement in United Nations peacekeeping.
"Some questioned whether our commitments already approved under Amsterdam (the so-called Petersberg Tasks) and set out in Nice are moving us away from 'our foreign policy tradition'," he observed.
Senator Hayes continued: "At European level, a confirmation by our partners that Ireland's neutral status would be fully respected in relation to any initiatives in the security domain would also be a gesture of reassurance.
"I believe that it is the general sense of the debate that this could be achieved through a plainly worded statement of the government's perception of Ireland's commitments under the treaties which could assuage these fundamental areas of concern and which EU partners could be invited to confirm in some broadly acceptable format, which some members of the Forum consider should have sufficient legal effect.
"As the incoming government begins its preparations for the next EU summit in Seville, I hope to find an opportunity as chairman of the Forum to present this report and its key findings to the team who will represent the Irish people in Seville," Senator Hayes said.
The Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, Mr Ahern, said new procedures for scrutiny of EU matters were coming into effect in the Oireachtas. He appealed to Fine Gael to end its boycott of the Forum and noted that Dr Garret FitzGerald and Mr John Bruton were both in attendance.
Mr Anthony Coughlan of the National Platform said the Government's decision to restructure the Referendum Commission was "an absolute scandal".
The commission was now precluded from giving the two sides of the argument. He recalled saying to the Fianna Fáil TD, Mr Brian Lenihan, at a public meeting of the Forum in Athlone: "I see the Government have got to the Referendum Commission." He claimed that Mr Lenihan replied: "I am delighted to put that Stalinist body in its place."
Ms Anne Speed of Sinn Féin said the government would rue the day it did not opt for renegotiation of the Nice Treaty.
A protocol excluding Ireland from participation in EU military operations would be the minimum requirement on neutrality. There were other substantial matters such as governance, accountability and social issues that had to be addressed.
The Labour MEP, Mr Proinsias De Rossa, said the latest Forum report had identified the critical importance of the social dimension of our EU membership. "To deliver social justice and an end to poverty, we need to ensure that Europe has the instruments to guarantee security in employment, pension security, safe food and a safe environment," he said.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, was not present but said in a statement that the Forum had proved its worth as a vehicle for a wide-ranging discussion on Europe and Ireland's place in the European Union.
The Government was working hard to address concerns expressed in the Forum and more widely by the public about the implications of the Nice Treaty. "We will be seeking a declaration at the European Council in Seville confirming that Ireland's traditional policy of military neutrality is not affected by the EU treaties," Mr Cowen said.
The Socialist Party TD, Mr Joe Higgins, said there were irreconcilable views on the future of Europe within the Forum. Fears about the militarisation of Europe had been enhanced under the Spanish Presidency, he added.
Senator Mary Henry (Independent) said there was great anxiety in applicant countries over the outcome of the next Nice referendum.
Successive governments had given very little information to the public on European matters. The prospect of Ireland excluding itself from the European mainstream was a very important issue.