The Government will publish a white paper on the EU constitution this week in an effort to kickstart a national debate on the future of Europe, writes Jamie Smyth, European correspondent
It will signal that a date for a referendum to ratify the constitution will not be set until the current "period of reflection" on the document is completed by EU member-states in the first half of next year.
The strategy brings the Republic into line with current European thinking on the future of the constitution, which was rejected by French and Dutch voters in referendums earlier this year.
It also backs away from more optimistic comments made by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, in June when he said that 18 or 19 member-states could have ratified the EU constitution by next summer, leaving it up to France and the Netherlands to sell the document to their electorates in new referendums.
Denmark, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Britain have all postponed referendum plans since the defeated referendums in the Netherlands and France. The Government had initially planned to hold its own referendum on the constitution this autumn.
The white paper on the constitution will be published on Thursday and will set out a factual description of the document and the Government's approach to its negotiation.
It is the first of a series of measures proposed to sell the EU constitution to the public, which remains unconvinced on the merits of the document.
An Eurobarometer poll published last month found that 15 per cent of respondents had heard of the constitution and knew of its contents, while 62 per cent had heard of it but knew little about what it contained. Some 13 per cent say they oppose the constitution, 37 per cent say they are in favour and 50 per cent are undecided.
The Government is also expected to use the National Forum for Europe as a platform to encourage renewed debate on the EU constitution.
In a written answer to a parliamentary question last week, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern, reiterated the Government's support for the EU constitution.
"The Government remains committed to the European constitution because we believe it to be good for Europe and good for Ireland," writes Mr Ahern. He said no date for an Irish referendum would be set until the position at European level was clarified and warned that the constitution would not be in place for years.
"President Barroso has suggested that the constitution will not enter into force for the next two or three years. This reflects a widely held view of the constitution's ratification prospects," wrote Mr Ahern, who also indicates his support for the European Commission's current strategy to focus on other pressing issues such as creating jobs, security and protecting the environment rather than the constitution.