Forum on Europe to deal with `confusion' over Nice - Taoiseach

The Nice Treaty Referendum went ahead early because the Taoiseach wanted to have it passed to assist EU applicant country leaders attending the Gothenburg summit this week.

Speaking during Question Time, Mr Ahern said he hoped the Forum on Europe would deal with the "misunderstandings, confusion and other matters" linked to the referendum in a more open way.

It was important that everyone could express their view in order to build a consensus. Nobody had argued against enlargement, which was what the Nice Treaty was about. "However, there are other areas where people have concerns which are either related or perceived to be related to the treaty and it is these we must address."

The forum will get into operation "as soon as possible" and he will discuss terms of reference with the Opposition. Mr Ahern has not yet considered who the chair will be but "it is best that it be an independent person involved in these issues".

"I would like it to be a broadly based forum but . . . while it is not possible to include everyone, the use of submissions and presentations should assist in making it a broadly based forum."

FG leader Mr Michael Noonan called on the Taoiseach to give assurances that government ministers would not take up positions that would "prejudice those discussions".

He was referring he said, to remarks by the Minister for Arts, Ms de Valera, that the treaty failed because the public was opposed to any further European integration. Mr Ahern said, however, that Ms de Valera said she did not want to see the emergence of a united states of Europe. That was not inconsistent with what Opposition members had said in the Dail.

Mark Hennessy writes: The Government is set for a confrontation with the anti-Treaty lobby over the formation of the forum following fears that it will be dominated by pro-EU figures.

Last night, a Government figure said they were considering inviting leaders of unions, farmers and business to join the forum to try to capture a cross-section of views.

Green TD Mr Trevor Sargent said it already looked as if the forum would be a creation of "Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, the Progressive Democrats and the Labour Party . . . I think we are going to have to kick up about it," he told The Irish Times.

The chairman of the National Platform, Mr Anthony Cough lan, believes the pro-EU lobby will find it "very hard" to control the direction of the forum. "What they are trying to do is set up something that will persuade people to vote for Nice over a longer period, having failed to do it over the 21 days of the campaign," he said.