Ahern defends Government’s role in EU talks

THE Taoiseach defended the Government’s role in the EU think-tank on the future of Europe yesterday.

Denying claims that the Government’s involvement in the Convention on the Future of Europe was low-key, Mr Ahern said the Government was actively participating and was putting in an enormous amount of effort.

Insisting that the Government’s involvement came from the highest level, Mr Ahern said he was in personal contact with the Irish members and spends up to six hours at the weekend reading the convention papers.

The convention is due to produce a blueprint next year for a new treaty on the way Europe will be governed.

The Green Party has criticised the Government for not allocating enough resources to the Irish members of the convention. Green Party leader Trevor Sargent suggested yesterday that the Government should be embarrassed by its participation, given the high-profile representation from other EU countries, whose foreign ministers are members of the convention.

However, Mr Ahern said he had met a number of the deputies involved and discussed a number of issues with former Taoiseach John Bruton, who is on the inner council of the convention.

The former Fine Gael leader is extremely helpful to the Government, having been elected to that privileged position, he said.

“It gives us access to someone who is in the inner sanctum. Some of the best officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs are actively involved in the convention on a day-to-day basis and Minister of State Deputy (Dick) Roche, is fully engaged in several meetings per week,” Mr Ahern said.