Dáil begins debate on Nice Referendum

The first day of the Dáil debate on the forthcoming Referendum on the Nice Treaty has concluded. The debate will resume tomorrow, and continue over two days next week.

No date has yet been set for the Referendum, which is expected to be held towards the end of October.

The Referendum is being supported by the Government parties, Fine Gael and Labour, and opposed by the Greens, Sinn Féin and a number of Independents.

Opening the debate, the Minister for Foreign Affairs said a Yes vote would be a vote for jobs, growth and Ireland's future, but said rejection of Nice would lose Ireland friends and influence across Europe.

Brian Cowen claimed the Government had eliminated all remaining doubts about the possibility of the Treaty posing a threat to Irish neutrality.

This point was echoed by Fine Gael's Gay Mitchell, who criticised those who had been "peddling untruths" about the Nice Treaty leading to a European Army.

However, Deputy Mitchell went on to attack the policy of military neutrality, which he claimed had left Ireland as one of the least protected states in Europe. He said this country should be one of the architects of new security arrangements for the European Union.

Labour leader Ruairi Quinn said it would a "terrible irony and horrible tragedy" if Ireland that was seen to be preventing enlargement.

Mr Quinn said that voters who want to "give the Government a bloody nose" because of spending cuts should do so at the European and local elections rather than by rejecting Nice.

Green Party chairman John Gormley said Nice was a very bad treaty for Ireland and a very bad treaty for Europe, and urged the Irish people to reject it.

He claimed that the aim of the European Union was to create a military force to compete with the US, and a "political giant" that would trample on the rights of citizens.

Early return for TDs TDs returned to Leinster House a month earlier than usual to allow the debate to take place.

The Referendum legislation is expected to be passed next Thursday. Before the Debate began Opposition leaders argued that time should be allowed for a debate on the economy, but they were ruled out of order.