An Oireachtas Committee will hold a session outside Leinster House tonight for the first time in its history.
The all-party body with responsibility for European Affairs will hold a public sitting on the Lisbon Treaty in DCU in Dublin.
“This will be the first time the Committee will sit outside the parliamentary precincts of Leinster House,” said a spokesperson.
The meeting is one of a series of six which will see the 17-member Committee travel to Galway, Cork, Dundalk, Athlone and Limerick in the coming weeks.
The referendum for the Lisbon Treaty is to take place on Thursday, June 12th. Views reflected at the public meetings will be considered for a report which the Committee will compile and submit to the Government before the referendum.
The Committee is chaired by Fine Gael TD Bernard Durkan, who said the public meetings aim to stimulate awareness among the general public of the Treaty and its provisions.
“We want to give as many people as possible an opportunity to debate the issues and to get themselves fully up-to-speed on its key points before they are asked to vote,” he explained.
The meetings will feature members of the Committee as well as invited experts.
The Treaty will have to be ratified by all 27 Member States of the EU before coming into force in January 2009.
Ireland is the only member state to hold a referendum as others will seek to ratify the Treaty by parliamentary vote.
Fine Gael is also holding a series of public meetings around the country and its youth wing, Young Fine Gael launched its Yes campaign today.
PA