Ireland to 'keep critical eye' on any constitution changes

"We are keeping a critical eye on it and we will be very watchful of any changes that are proposed," he said at a communications conference in Berlin on Thursday (18 January).

"We are pleased with the constitution. We negotiated the constitution. We didn't agree with all of the things that are in it, nor did we get everything that we wanted, but at the end of the day it is a very conclusive democratic document. And on that basis we believe it should be accepted," he explained.

Although Ireland has not ratified the constitution, Mr Treacy will be present at a meeting organised by Luxembourg and Spain in Madrid on Friday (26 January) for the 18 member states that have already ratified the EU Treaty.

"We are friends of the constitution," explained Mr Treacy, pointing out that it was under the Irish EU presidency during the first half of 2004 that the constitution conclusions were negotiated.

"We hope that our presence at those meetings will bring balance and assistance and experience to the deliberations and ultimately we can find a consensus to how we go forward together," Mr Treacy said, referring to a second meeting on the constitution set to take place in Luxembourg next month involving all 27 member states.

Of the remaining countries, France and the Netherlands rejected the treaty in 2005 leading to the Czech Republic, Denmark, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Sweden and the UK to put the ratification process on hold.

Irish referendum

Meanwhile, Mr Treacy indicated that Ireland will have a referendum whatever the outcome of the negotiations on the document.

"We are obliged to hold a referendum in our country and we cannot agree to any changes in any treaty situation unless it goes to a referendum for our people," he said.

His words come as some politicians - such as France's centre-right contender in the elections Nicolas Sarkozy - are suggesting that a small pared-down treaty would only have to be ratified by national parliament rather than by referendum.

Ireland voted no to the Nice Treaty in June 2001 largely out of a fear that it would affect the country's neutrality. A year later, however, it voted yes.

But Mr Treacy is not worried that there will be another no to a European treaty from the island.

"Ireland like Europe is very optimistic, we believe that our country has benefited immeasurably from membership of the European Union," he said with a reference to the booming Irish economy.

"On that basis, we are confident that given the right time and the right information the people of Ireland will ratify the constitution in due course."