Nice Treaty cannot be undone, says Ahern

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern tonight said the European Union’s Treaty of Nice - rejected in a referendum last week - could not be renegotiated.

Speaking in the face of intense and angry criticism over the way he had handled the plebiscite campaign from opposition parties in the Dail, he maintained: ‘‘The treaty cannot be undone in any way.’’

Last Thursday’s nationwide poll refused to approve the EU document - which would have permitted the enlargement of the community through the recruitment of 12 central and eastern European applicant states - in a move that has led to serious embarrassment for Mr Ahern and his Government.

The Government’s red face has deepened with confirmation that junior government minister Eamon O 'Cuiv was among the 54% of the electorate who voted against the treaty, claiming afterwards he had acted ‘‘as a citizen’’ and remained a supporter of cabinet policy.

Mr Ahern has infuriated opposition groups - who, together with the coalition Government parties urged a Yes vote in the referendum - by refusing to take disciplinary action against Mr O'Cuiv, who is a grandson of former Irish President and Prime Minister Eamon de Valera.

Tonight he told the Dail the Government was beginning a long look at the referendum vote on the treaty, and he added: ‘‘There will be no hasty decisions.

‘‘We have to look at all the options and take into account the reasons why people voted against and examine those issues to see how we can build a strategy to deal with the position.’’

Later this week Mr Ahern will be confronted by fellow leaders of the EU for the first time since the poll returns became clear, at the European summit in Gothenburg, Sweden.

He made his parliamentary comments after a series of meetings in Luxembourg between Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen and his counterparts from the applicant states.

The atmosphere at the discussions was later described as ‘‘polite - but frosty’’ with ministers making the point to Ireland that their entry into Europe has been seriously delayed.

Mr Cowen repeated the insistence that the vote did not reflect Irish resistance to expansion of the EU, but was caused by concern among sections of the electorate over the consequences for Ireland’s traditional policy of military neutrality.

The minister will maintain his diplomatic offensive and damage limitation exercise in Dublin tomorrow when he has further talks - this time with the ambassadors to Ireland of the applicant countries.