Parties to meet on wording of treaty proposal

The Government has signalled that it is open to consultation about the wording of the proposed referendum on the Amsterdam Treaty.

The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, will meet Mr Ruairi Quinn on Monday to discuss the Labour leader's reservations about the clause to allow the State to exercise "the options or discretions" in the treaty.

Mr Quinn claims the Government's wording could create a coalition of groups which could threaten the treaty's ratification.

Mr Ahern, accompanied by the Attorney General, Mr David Byrne, has also agreed to meet the Democratic Left leader, Mr Proinsias De Rossa, on Wednesday, after the debate on the Second Stage of the Bill has started in the Dail.

Mr De Rossa believes that the amendment proposed to ratify the treaty and provide for subsequent discretions should be divided into two referendum questions.

The Dublin Labour MEP, Ms Bernie Malone, last night called on the Government to publish its legal advice on the wording. There was a precedent which could be followed, she said, in that Mr Peter Sutherland, while attorney general, published his legal advice in relation to the wording of the 1983 abortion referendum.

The Government Chief Whip, Mr Seamus Brennan, told the Opposition whips on Thursday that the Government was open to consultation about its proposed wording.

He said it was anxious to secure Opposition agreement on the wording.

A National Platform spokesman said yesterday the Government's scheme for a referendum commission to supervise the disbursement of public money on referendum information seemed to be a big improvement in democratic procedures.

He called on the EU Commission to withdraw its "one-sided" citizen's guide to the Amsterdam Treaty.