EU To Allow Irish Concessions

It has emerged today that the European Union is likely to approve concessions for Ireland as part of the conditions for a second referendum on the Treaty of Lisbon.

All 27 leaders wrangled over the decision at a two-day summit in Brussels and this week are to pledge the previously rejected treaty - which streamlines EU decision-making - would not affect Irish sovereignty on tax, abortion or military neutrality.

A second Irish referendum has no now been pencilled in for 25 September or 2 October, allowing the treaty to take effect at the start of 2010.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen, At a two-day summit in Brussels, the told fellow leaders he would lose a second referendum unless legal guarantees promised to Ireland had the force of a full treaty.

The blueprint was rejected by the Irish people a year ago but opinion polls now show a clear majority in favour of a revised treaty.

However, other countries, including Britain, are worried that such guarantees would reopen the ratification process.

In Britain, that would mean another vote in the Commons and the Lords and provoke further demands for a referendum.

Gordon Brown told a press conference that Britain wanted to "do the right thing by Ireland and by Europe".

He added: "I want to ensure that the Lisbon Treaty as it affected Britain will not be changed in any way."

(BMcC/JM)