The President of the European Parliament, Mr Pat Cox, has welcomed the announcement of the date of the Nice referendum. He described as a defining moment for Ireland and for Europe.
"There is a lot at stake. A second rejection of the Nice Treaty would plunge the European Union's main strategic agenda, that of enlargement, into a period of uncertainty and potential crisis. This is not in the interests of the European Union, nor of the accession states and most assuredly not in Ireland's own self interest."
He said a generation of Irish voters had "chosen intelligent interdependence rather than isolated independence".
He said the benefits of membership moved the country from "stagnation to opportunity".
He said he would be campaigning both as an Irish citizen adn an elected representative for a "Yes" vote.