Nice referendum result a disappointment - Byrne

The Nice Referendum result was a great personal disappointment which sent shock waves through the EU, the European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, Mr David Byrne said today.

The consequences of the No vote were so huge that Irish people needed to reflect fully on their implications, he added. Mr Byrne is the first Irish Commissioner to address the Seanad.

"I believe the consequences of the No vote are so enormous that we need to reflect fully on their implications. Is Ireland saying No to the EU? I can't believe this to be the case. Is Ireland saying No to enlargement? It clearly seems not."

Mr Byrne said if the result was left "as it is now" then it could be interpreted as a No to Europe and a No to enlargement. Before embarking on such a fundamental change of course, Mr Byrne said Irish people had to be sure this was what the majority of Irish people want.

He also condemned isolationist tendencies and stressed that Europe was not an edifice of fourteen member States against Ireland or of big against small member States. "It is a community of interests that is better served when pooled".

Advocating a European Constitution, Mr Byrne said it was important to establish clear, simple and permanent tools for the Treaties which could be adapted in the future.

The non-stop Treaty creating process had to stop because it suggested a collective sense of dissatisfaction. He suggested that a constitution would allow the simple approval of new legal texts – without the need for repeated ratification.

"Imagine if the Irish Constitution was to be amended radically every few years? How could people keep up with such developments," he asked.

Mr Byrne also advocated the Irish model of socio-economic development, saying the country often represented "a model for Europe to follow".

He said the economic development in Ireland since its accession in 1973 would not have been possible without membership of the EU and access to its support and markets.