Minister for European Affairs Dick Roche said yesterday he hopes for a balanced debate on the EU Reform Treaty, but warned that those who come to Ireland to "interfere" in next year's referendum campaign should expect a "robust" debate.
"In the upcoming referendum campaign, it's likely that people from outside Ireland - people who oppose the progress of the European Union, will try to make this country a battleground to push their views," Mr Roche told the opening session of the European Youth Parliament in Dublin.
"We would prefer if these people were to keep out of our affairs. However, if they do choose to come here and to interfere, particularly as the far right have indicated in recent days, they can expect a robust debate, and any mendacious comments they make, we will deal with. And we will use the most powerful weapon of all in our arsenal - that is, the truth."
Mr Roche said the treaty was "absolutely vital" for Europe in that it made necessary changes to decision-making procedures and would enable the bloc to play "a greater role as a force for good in world affairs".
While the EU was weak at communicating with its citizens, he believed next year's referendum campaign would help inform people of its workings.
"In spite of all that the union has done it is not as well understood as it should be. And that is a great pity because the European Union has a wonderful tale to tell."
Former taoiseach Garret FitzGerald told the session that "yes" campaigners would have "a huge battle on our hands" in next year's referendum. "When the first Nice referendum came up . . . the Government failed to mobilise opinion - they just sat back and did nothing," he said.
"We have [ another] referendum to come. This is absolutely crucial because we're the only people now having a referendum, and if it goes wrong with us, the whole thing goes wrong. So we have a huge battle on our hands in six months' time."
Dr FitzGerald said the key issue was the nature of Europe's role in the world. The EU stood for certain values that set it apart from other liberal democracies, and these were values worth promoting.
Among them was the commitment to international law, the subordination of sovereignty in the area of human rights, the reversal of colonialism and leadership on global ecology.
The single market had also become a "zone of peace" by virtue of the way in which countries were required to work together, while the EU's commitment to peace-keeping missions also made a significant statement on the global stage. "That leadership in peacekeeping worldwide stands in contrast to the concept of the use of power to achieve results," he said.
As part of the European Youth Parliament session, which continues all week in Dublin, young people from 30 countries will debate issues including global warming and migration. Their resolutions will be forwarded to the European Parliament and Commission for discussion.