Government must commit to process

There were welcome signs yesterday that the Government has at last decided to get involved in the Convention on the Future of Europe.

Just days ago ministers were arrogantly threatening to behave like dogs in the manger refusing to participate in the most important debate of the decade, but saying they would exercise their veto on any proposal to come from that debate that they did not like.

Initially the excuse given for the Government's failure to participate in the convention was that they did not wish to confuse Irish citizens in the run up to the second vote on the Nice Treaty.