Ireland's No vote in the last referendum on the Nice Treaty was a "wake-up call" to Europe, the Minister for Rural, Community and Family Affairs has said.
At a debate on the Nice Treaty hosted by Galway Chamber of Commerce, Mr Ó Cuív said Ireland had done a service to European member-states, in that it was a warning shot across the bows of the European Commission that it could only go "as far as its people want it to".
The Minister, who voted No in last year's referendum, said that at the time he had regarded the treaty as quite anodyne, but believed that certain issues needed to be dealt with. He would be voting in favour this time as the political dynamic was now different and also because this referendum was asking voters a different question.
"This time we are not voting on Nice but on a constitutional amendment," he said. "A codicil, arising from the Treaty of Amsterdam and following on the Seville Declaration, states that we cannot constitutionally become involved in a common defence policy unless Irish people vote for it in a referendum."
His concerns about European legislation and its "downsides" experienced in the west of Ireland had also been addressed, Following the establishment of the Forum on Europe, a mechanism had been put in place, he said, to ensure the Dáil examined all EU legislation.
He was also pleased to see that the Government had stated in the Programme for Government that it did not see Ireland's future as part of a European federal state.
On arguments put forward by the No campaigners, Mr Ó Cuív said enhanced co-operation would give greater flexibility in the future. He also believed agriculture would gain greater influence through enlargement, given that 22 per cent of the population in the applicant countries were engaged in farming.
He looked forward to working with those representatives who believed that we should diversify in rural areas, rather than move everyone into conurbations with attendant large social problems.