FG refuses to work with Lisbon commission

BRIAN COWEN’S bid to regain the political initiative on Lisbon was thrown into disarray last night as Fine Gael refused to co-operate with a new all-party commission.

Opposition leader Enda Kenny ruled out taking part in a special parliamentary probe intended to move the country out of the uncertainty left by the June referendum result.

Mr Kenny told Foreign Minister Micheál Martin the existing Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs was the best forum to examine how the country should move forward on the issue.

“I do not see any necessity to set up a new committee to deal with these important issues. Rather, the existing European Affairs Committee should be asked to priorities these issues for the coming months,” said Mr Kenny. The FG leader said he was ready to look at extending the membership of the committee.

“I am also open to discussing the expansion of the membership of the committee (as has occurred with some other committees) so that it includes representation from both sides of the Lisbon treaty debate,” he said in a letter to Mr Martin.

The move means a slated early September re-assembling of the Dáil to establish the commission is now off the agenda. The Labour Party is also believed to be lukewarm about the proposed commission and the attitude of the two opposition parties effectively leaves the idea dead in the water.

Mr Martin had intended the commission to have a neutral chairperson independent of the parties involved. The minister wanted it to work in tandem with the Government’s efforts to pinpoint why the treaty was rejected so comprehensively by voters when the country split 53%-47% against it on a high turnout for a referendum. A study is under way into why voters were so negative towards Lisbon and the results will be released in the autumn.

The move by Fine Gael will hamper the Government’s bid to have a clear strategy in place for when Mr Cowen attends the October EU heads of government summit. The Taoiseach has promised European leaders he will be in a position to tell them how Ireland intends to proceed at the gathering, with greater details to be given at the European Council meeting in December.

Large EU states like France, Germany and Britain have made it clear they want the other 26 members of the union to press ahead with Lisbon.

FG and Labour would like a special sub-committee of the European affairs committee to be chaired by a prominent opposition figure, as they say this would enable a report to be given to the Oireachtas as quickly as possible.

Mr Martin is abroad and unavailable for comment.