It will be at least a month before a decision is made on whether a referendum will be necessary to ratify the EU Treaty changes agreed at Nice, a Government spokesman said last night.
At the conclusion of the weekend EU conference the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, indicated a referendum would almost certainly be held. Fine Gael and the Labour Party have both said that one must be called.
The Fine Gael foreign affairs spokesman, Mr Jim O'Keeffe, said that since the proposals for reform to the institutions substantially alter the composition in the case of the Commission, and the law making process in the case of the Council, "the treaty should be referred to the Irish people for ratification".
The leader of the Labour Party, Mr Quinn, said every major development in the EU since we first entered in 1973 has been put before the Irish people and approved by them in a referendum. "Regardless of any legal requirements, I believe strongly that the Nice Treaty should also be subject to a referendum in this country."
If the expansion and development of the EU was to have "democratic legitimacy", he added, it must be put before the Irish people for their approval and consent.
The Government spokesman said the full text of the treaty would not be available for around two weeks. Once available it would go to the Cabinet subcommittee on European Affairs where its implications would be considered.
Mr Anthony Coughlan, the secretary of the group "National Platform" said the Taoiseach knows "in his heart of hearts" there had to be a referendum. "Under the Irish Constitution sovereignty rests with the people, any surrender of sovereignty rests with the people themselves." There would certainly be a constitutional challenge if one were not held.
Mr O'Keeffe said it had been hugely important to achieve an agreed outcome at Nice but there was a cost for Ireland in the final compromise. "It has been an article of faith for us to insist on having an Irish Commissioner and this has now been breached - but on a basis that will equally affect all other member states."
Mr Quinn said final judgement would have to be withheld until the final text of the draft treaty was available.