Treaty rejection a 'source of disappointment', says Cowen

TAOISEACH'S PRESS CONFERENCE:THE REJECTION of the Lisbon Treaty by the electorate was "a source of disappointment" to the Government and its European partners, Taoiseach Brian Cowen told a news conference after the result was announced.

However, he pointed out that the EU had been in a similar situation before and had always found an agreed way forward. Ireland had "absolutely no wish" to halt the progress of the EU, which had been such a force for peace and prosperity. Warning against any rush to conclusions, he said the result brought about "considerable uncertainty and a difficult situation", but that there was "no quick fix" to resolve the problem.

Asked if the referendum result meant the treaty was dead, Mr Cowen said it was "a matter for national processes" in all 27 member states. "It's a matter for each government to decide how that proceeds, if it proceeds."

Asked what went wrong on the Yes side, he said: "I led that campaign and I take responsibility for the fact that it hasn't been successful. I also have to take up my responsibility, in the job I hold, to deal with the aftermath of this decision, and the first part of that process is first of all for us to reflect ourselves, and then to analyse, and then to discuss with colleagues at the European Council next Thursday as to how we might be able to proceed."

Asked if there would be a second referendum he said: "Well, that doesn't arise today because the people have just spoken."

He continued: "A No vote brings uncertainty and therefore I must discuss with colleagues how we wish to proceed as a union in the light of this decision."

Accepting that the result showed the Government's Yes campaign had failed to communicate its message properly, he added that there was "an orchestrated campaign of confusion in many elements of the No side as well".

Such claims were "clearly extraneous" to the treaty and shouldn't have been part of "an informed debate".

Denying there had been any squabble with the other political parties on the Yes side, Mr Cowen said: "There was a misrepresentation of my position there, which I clarified on two or three occasions. I don't believe it was of any great significance in any event."

Looking ahead to the European summit meeting in Brussels at the end of next week, he said: "I will reflect in my discussions with colleagues next Thursday all of the issues that were raised."

He would "analyse the situation further over coming days".

He had already spoken on the phone to a number of EU colleagues, including European Commission president José Manuel Barroso, French president Nicolas Sarkozy, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and British prime minister Gordon Brown.

Flanked by his Coalition colleagues, Minister for Health Mary Harney of the Progressive Democrats and Minister for the Environment John Gormley of the Green Party, as well as Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin, the Taoiseach opened the news conference by reading a statement in Irish and English.

"As Taoiseach, I wish to make it clear to our European partners that Ireland has absolutely no wish to halt the progress of a union which has been the greatest force for peace and prosperity in the history of Europe. Equally, we still share the goal of a union fit for purpose in this century. We will take the time to explain this to our partners in Europe and the wider international community," Mr Cowen said.

He pointed out that Mr Martin would be attending the general affairs and external relations council, due to meet in Luxembourg on Monday.