Taoiseach Brian Cowen has said he sees no need for a referendum on the amendment to the EU treaty agreed by European leaders at their summit today.
The change would establish a permanent mechanism for dealing with financial crises in euro zone countries.
Mr Cowen made his comments at the end of the EU summit in Brussels today.
The Taoiseach said he believes the wording agreed to by EU leaders is compatible with the Irish constitution and involves no transfer of powers to the EU - the key test for triggering a referendum.
He said he will present the legal opinion of the Attorney General to the Dáil when it reconvenes for the new term.
The two-day European Union summit closed today with leaders hailing progress in the 27-state bloc's relations with strategic international partners the US, China and India.
National leaders also decided to grant membership candidate status to Montenegro and praised global moves to combat climate change at a conference in Cancun in Mexico, earlier this month.
Last night they pledged to do 'whatever is required' to defend the shared euro currency as markets increase pressure on weaker euro economies such as Portugal following Greece and Ireland seeking EU-IMF bail-outs.
'The European Union is not only an economic union and a trade bloc, but also an important geopolitical partner,' said EU president Herman Van Rompuy. 'We are clearly moving in the right direction,' he added.
'There are still lessons to be learned,' European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso added, saying bloc institutions and member states each 'need to act in a more coordinated way'.
