The Government tonight announced details of a second referendum on plans to expand the European Union.

Ireland remains totally committed to the European Union despite rejecting the Treaty of Nice, Foreign Minister Brian Cowen insisted today.

A stunned European Commission has promised ‘‘more democracy, more involvement and more enlightenment’’ after Ireland threw out a vital Euro-treaty.

The upcoming referendum on the Nice Treaty will be ‘‘payback time’’ for Ireland, which has benefited ‘‘extraordinarily’’ from membership of the European Union, to extend those benefits to the peoples of central and southern Europe, said the Taoiseach today.